Success Stories spotlight McNeese students and professors that have been chosen as recipients of scholarships and professorships for their academic and teaching excellence. It also features McNeese Foundation and Athletic Foundation donors. 

Each story will share how professors have utilized the professorship's funds to enhance their teaching, how students have succeeded in their college journey and how donors have given back to their community and/or alma mater.

Endowed professorships are established through the Foundation with a $60,000 private gift and matched with a $40,000 donation by the Louisiana Board of Regents, bringing the endowment to $100,000. Scholarships are endowed when they reach the $10,000 level. In/out scholarship funds are donated for a specific account for immediate payout to the recipient and can be established with as little as $100.

 

Click on the names below to read their "success story."

 

 

Make no bones about it, Connie Young loves her profession. Since 1989, she has instructed students as an assistant professor and clinical coordinator in the biology and health sciences department at McNeese State University.

Her path to teaching began in a hospital. After graduating from McNeese with a Bachelor of Science degree in radiologic technology, she worked at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital (LCMH) as a staff radiographer in surgery and mammography. A promotion made her a clinical instructor and mammographer at LCMH.

Part of her job duties then included providing clinical instruction to radiologic science students assigned to the hospital site. Her work with the students and the accolades from her supervisor piqued her interest in becoming an educator. In 1989 she began working on her Master of Education degree and teaching at the university level, and she hasn't looked back.

In addition to presenting numerous papers and being a published author, Connie is a past recipient of the Judge Edwin F. Hunter Jr. Endowed Professorship in Health and Science. She utilized the professorship award to hire two radiologic science students to assist with research and data gathering for a project studying breast cancer disparities in women based on race and economics.

Connie and her assistants created a form that analyzed patients who received mammograms during the last six months of 2008. The data studied were: age, mammogram date, ethnicity, if patients were insured or uninsured, mammogram results, and if a follow-up mammogram was scheduled.

The positive mammogram results are being further analyzed by reviewing treatment plans and studying the patient's health records. After the study is complete, Connie will prepare a lecture and paper based on the findings of her research.

This project is Connie's first foray into the research aspect of teaching. "This professorship has helped me become more confident professionally to seek out other research avenues,” she said. "It was also a good experience for those two students to be a part of this.”

Since the radiologic science program at McNeese started in 1978, it has grown to more than 200 student majors. Radiologic science majors receive a mixture of classroom and real-world experience. The first three semesters, or the pre-professional phase, of the program are spent taking general education courses, and the final two and a half years comprise the professional program. Students enrolled in the professional phase are rotated through area hospitals and clinics.

After completing the program, students are eligible to take the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists certification examination. McNeese alumni make up 60 percent of the x-ray technicians in Southwest Louisiana.

Connie also works part-time as a radiologic technologist at W.O. Moss Regional Hospital on the weekends. "Working on weekends helps me understand more of what my students go through,” she explains.

McNeese radiologic science students are fortunate to have a professor like Connie who goes above and beyond the call of duty on both a personal and professional level.

 

Rodeo has been a part of McNeese State University since 1947 when the first rodeo team was formed. Originally designed for livestock shows and rodeos, the Arena was one of the first three buildings built on the campus. Today's cowboys and cowgirls continue a 60-year tradition, and they do it very well.

The rodeo program has performed so well that they make it difficult for bigger schools like Texas A&M to recruit members for their rodeo team. In fact, a recent issue of Texas A&M Foundation's magazine, Spirit, described McNeese as a "regional rodeo powerhouse.”

The tradition began in the 1950s with the McNeese men's rodeo team winning three consecutive national championships. The tradition continues today with the most recent championship won in 2008 by Hope Thompson for ladies breakaway roping. The men's team won nine out of 10 college rodeos and won the Southern Region 3,000 points ahead of the second place team in 2008-09.

In 2007, three national champions were produced: Beau Schroder in bull riding, Ben Schofner in steer wrestling and Lydia Martin in reserved breakaway. The men's team took fifth in the nation that same year.

Winning those championships requires dedication and hard work, which is something rodeo team members are accustomed to. According to McNeese Rodeo Coach Justin Browning, team members usually put in 12- to 16-hour days.

"They [students] get up early to feed their animals, go to class, go to work, practice and study. A usual day is 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.,” he says.

The rodeo season consists of 10 rodeos. Traveling to each competition can be quite expensive. Entry fees and gas, lodging and animal feed expenses add up quickly. McNeese is able to provide travel assistance for the top six men and top four women on the team through a student assessment fee. That leaves some students to pay their own way, however, in addition to paying for common college expenses such as tuition, books, meals and housing.

In 2000, Billy Navarre and William Doré, Sr. learned that local students were attending college out-of-state where more financial assistance was provided for the rodeo program and its students. In an effort to stem this exodus, the Golden Saddle Club was formed to provide scholarships for McNeese rodeo students. The initial fundraising effort raised $250,000 for scholarships. Each year eight team members are selected by the rodeo coach and are awarded scholarships varying from $1,000 to $1,500 per semester.

Katie Perkins received a Golden Saddle Club Scholarship and competed for McNeese rodeo for four years in breakaway roping and goat tying.

"McNeese is the only college in Louisiana that has a rodeo program. You can rodeo at other schools, but as an independent,” Katie explains. "The scholarship helps me pay for my books, rodeo entry fees and travel expenses since my tuition is paid for through TOPS.”

Coach Browning explained how the rodeo team invests the funds that they receive back into the community. "Horses alone can cost $200 each month including their feed, veterinarian bills, shoeing and so on,” he says. "Rodeo students spend money in the community for clothing, gas, saddles and animal boarding fees. We're keeping the McNeese tradition alive—this is why our mascot is the Cowboys.”

The combination of talented rodeo athletes, a dedicated coach and financial supporters will ensure that McNeese continues its rodeo powerhouse tradition.

 

Lakeisha Guilliam's passion for nursing began in the living room of her St. Martinville, La., home. She grew up an avid watcher of the Discovery Health Channel and medical television shows such as ER.

After graduating as valedictorian from St. Martinville High School with a 4.0 grade point average, Lakeisha enrolled at McNeese State University as a nursing major. She had seldom visited Lake Charles before but chose McNeese based on the College of Nursing's respected reputation. "I heard about the great nursing program at McNeese and its high success rate,” Lakeisha says. After touring the campus with her mother and a friend, Lakeisha decided to make the move to Lake Charles. "I thought it would be a chance for me to grow, and I love the decision I made.”

Lakeisha graduated in May 2010 with a bachelor's degree in nursing. She credits the "awesome” nursing faculty members for helping her and other nursing students obtain a degree. "The professors challenge you to think critically,” Lakeisha says. "They do an excellent job in preparing us to become successful nurses for tomorrow.”

Lakeisha also received financial help along the way. In addition to her tuition being covered through the TOPS program, she was awarded the Frances Thompson King Memorial Scholarship. She remembers the day she learned of being selected as a scholarship recipient. "I received a call saying I had qualified for a scholarship,” she recalls. "I was so surprised and thankful for that blessing. The scholarship helped me achieve my goal of obtaining a nursing degree and helping others.”

After graduation she plans to move near family in Orlando, Fla., and begin working as a nurse. When she has a few years of working under her belt, Lakeisha plans to pursue a master's degree and become a nursing home administrator. "Nursing is a way of giving back to the community,” she explains. "It's more than treating someone who has an illness or disease; it's treating the person as a whole. Some patients just want someone to talk to. It's fulfilling to help someone and make them feel better.”

When talking with Lakeisha, you can see and feel how passionate she is about nursing. That passion is something that hasn't gone unnoticed by her professors. "I enjoy getting to know all of my clinical nursing students during the time they are assigned to me, but there are those like Lakeisha that touch my heart with the sincerity and compassion with which they surrender to those who are entrusted to their care,” says Rhonda Johnson, assistant professor of nursing. "Her strong religious faith and dedication to nursing will enable her to become a nurse that is truly focused on delivering high-quality, patient-centered care with a very personal touch!”

From a young girl watching nurses on television to becoming one herself, Lakeisha is fulfilling her dream. "As I look at it,” said Lakeisha, "the sky is the limit.”

Dr. Linda Larson is bringing classroom technology into the 21^st century. As an associate professor in the educational leadership and instructional technology department at McNeese State University, she teaches educators how to integrate technology into the classroom. She also instructs business professionals on how to effectively utilize technology in the workplace.

"Technological change is traveling at the speed of light and to keep up we must be ‘lifelong' learners. Education is a constantly evolving, growing, changing set of experiences and the lifeblood of the information society. It supplies students with the nutrients they need to

create and synthesize knowledge.”

 

 

The third annual Denim & Diamonds fundraiser was held Thursday, March 4, 2010, in the Lake Charles Civic Center Exhibition Hall.

 

 

From a covered wagon to a spaceship. That is how Linda Finley describes the changes she saw on the McNeese State University campus during her 35 years of service.

The time Linda has invested at McNeese could easily span over 40 years if you include her time as a student. After graduating in three years with a Bachelor of Science degree in business education, she began graduate school immediately and obtained a Master of Education degree in counseling and guidance. She also completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Spanish while working full-time.

Linda began her career in education at Marion High School (now Washington-Marion Magnet High School) teaching English, shorthand, typing and office practices. During her third year of teaching, she accepted a job as the first admissions counselor at McNeese. After two years in that position, she moved up the ranks to assistant registrar, associate registrar and registrar.

By the time she retired as dean of university services and registrar in 2001, students were enrolling and registering for classes online from the comfort of their homes. She was awarded Registrar Emeritus status for her many years of dedication and is the longest-serving registrar at McNeese.

Just to show how times have changed, she recalled registering for classes as an undergraduate. "We registered for classes by picking up individual class cards in the library on the second floor of Kaufman Hall,” Linda reminisced. "I remember filling out countless cards with my schedule. We had to fill out one each for the department head, dean, faculty advisor and student services.”

Linda has worked with the McNeese Foundation since its inception in 1965 - first as a university employee and now as a donor. She established the Linda Finley Scholarship, and is a charter member of the 1939 Living Oak Society.

The decision to endow a scholarship stemmed from working with so many students over the years. "I saw how essential it is for some students to have [financial] assistance,” said Linda. "It's a good investment to help those that are academically capable. I believe in the importance of assisting students either directly through scholarships or indirectly by grants given to faculty for research which filters down to the students.”

A variety of activities keeps Linda busy during her retirement years. She is a master gardener, Lake Charles and Louisiana Garden Club member, treasurer of the McNeese Federal Credit Union, a Calcasieu-Cameron Retired Teachers Association member, poll commissioner, past president of the Outriders, McNeese's retirement association, and is active in her church. When she's not working in her garden or attending meetings, you can find her exercising at the McNeese Rec Complex or exploring new travels across the United States.

A lifelong learner, Linda is currently enrolled in Biology 308, plant taxonomy, at McNeese. According to the McNeese catalog, plant taxonomy is described as "principles of nomenclature, identification, and classification and their application to the flowering plants.” Just another way for Linda to add to her "garden” of knowledge.

 

 

Recipient, Josi Andrus Brady Memorial Scholarship

To read the statistics that Derrick Fourroux has achieved in just three short years as a first-string quarterback is impressive. To get to know Derrick Fourroux as a person…now that is remarkable.

Derrick lives in Erath, a small Louisiana town with about 2,100 residents in Vermilion Parish, nestled between Abbeville and Delcambre on U.S. Highway 14. Unlike his cousins who spent hours hanging out in their grandfather's machine shop, Derrick preferred being outside playing ball. "Ball” could be baseball, basketball or football. He was proficient at them all. His first introduction to the quarterback position was playing parish league football at 8 years old. It was only natural that he was named quarterback his freshman year, playing the position all four years for Erath High School's Bobcats. He earned all-state honors as quarterback for football, all-district honors as forward for basketball and as pitcher and shortstop for baseball and all district and regional honors for javelin and triple jump for track.

Brothers, Bruce and Zach, sister, Jasmine, and extended family were always in the crowds cheering Derrick on. His most ardent supporter back then and to this day is his mom, Patricia. Derrick describes his mom as a "hard working mom” who never pushed, but provided consistent discipline and support. Recognizing Derrick's talent and passion, his mom worked hard to afford to send him to McNeese's football camps and to the Manning Passing Academy. It became obvious that the training was not in vain when McNeese's Head Coach Matt Viator recruited at Erath High School during Derrick's junior year and offered him a football scholarship. Derrick describes Coach Viator as "a great coach who really has a mind for the game.”

Players may be "red-shirted” their first year to allow them time to learn "the lay of the land” or at another point in their college career due to injury. A red-shirted player may practice with the team but not play in any games. Red-shirting preserves another year of eligibility for the player. Derrick was red-shirted his first year at McNeese and younger brother, Zach, an entering freshman in 2008-09, was also red-shirted. Derrick now leads the Cowboys as starting quarterback. He is a dual threat in the conference, excelling in both his running and passing games. Zach, who seems destined to follow in Derrick's footsteps one day, is currently the third-string quarterback for the Cowboys.

While Derrick's activities on the field are to be commended, his accomplishments off the field are even more impressive. Derrick is a senior nursing student with an excellent academic track record. Students enrolled in McNeese's nursing program undergo a rigorous course curriculum that includes extensive off-site hours in a clinical setting. Despite the demands on his time, Derrick has been successful in all his endeavors and has been named to the Southland Conference Commissioners Honor List. His dad, Bruce, a nurse himself, served as Derrick's inspiration in pursuing a health care career. As a child, Derrick used to meet his dad at Lafayette General Hospital where Bruce worked in the Oncology Department.

He said the key to his success has been "time management.” With a schedule that starts with strength training on Monday, a full class schedule Tuesday-Friday, a game Saturday and football practices and study time in between, there is no time wasted. His nursing study group, which he meets with several times a week, has provided structure and motivation.

Derrick Fourroux is the recipient of the Josi Andrus Brady Memorial Scholarship, awarded to a deserving football player in good academic standing. "Financially, things are not that stable. If not for the scholarship, I wouldn't be at McNeese. I would probably be in the National Guard or the Marines or something. I'm very thankful for the scholarship,” stated Fourroux. Derrick hopes to become a nurse anesthetist one day. He graduated in May 2010, and if not playing football professionally, he will work for Lake Charles Memorial Hospital where he served as a student extern this summer in the intensive care unit. He will be the first child and the first grandchild in his family to graduate from college.

Derrick's mom, his high school sweetheart, Megan Dronet, and family members from Erath can be heard in the stands rooting loudly for their favorite quarterback. Right beside them are Erath's high school coaches and town folk who Derrick says are "like family…very supportive and caring.” Traveling by caravan, Erath supporters begin tailgating early on game day. When the lights of Cowboy Stadium dim you will find Derrick heading to the parking lot to join his extended family and greatest fans.

 

 

Recipient, JPMorgan Chase Bank Professorship in Business Research

 

When Dr. Banamber Mishra developed a proposal to apply for a professorship, he knew it was not a simple undertaking. Cultivating an idea from concept to publication can take anywhere from three to five years.

 

Dr. Mishra obtained all of his degrees in economics, including a bachelor's degree from Ravenshaw College, India, a master's degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, India, and a second master's degree and a doctorate degree both from the University of Alabama. With such a extensive education and 22 years of employment at McNeese State University, he serves as a tenured professor certified to teach economics and finance at the baccalaureate and graduate levels.

 

When McNeese awards a professorship, it signifies that the faculty member is highly knowledgeable about a particular subject. Professorships, often linked to research, are awarded to faculty who are academically qualified from an institutional point of view. Professorships provide a financial stipend which may be used at the recipient's discretion. These funds are expended to further the project and may include purchase of supplies, software or equipment or for travel to industry conferences. Dr. Mishra has received several professorships over his extensive teaching career including the JPMorgan Chase Bank Professorship in Business Research, which he now holds.

 

To be awarded a professorship, a faculty member must first submit a proposal on an appropriate topic. According to Dr. Mishra, "Topics often originate from the researcher's previous work on a related issue or from a subject area where the researcher has a great interest." The proposal may be a short-term project of one-year duration or a long-term project carried out over multiply years. Once the proposal is developed, it is submitted to the respective college for review. Professorships are awarded each fall pending available funds. Research results are submitted for approval for presentation at industry conferences and published in discipline-specific journals.

 

McNeese's College of Business is one of only 14 percent of all business schools internationally to be accredited by AACSB International-The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. According to the AACSB Web site, "Accreditation is a process of voluntary, non-governmental review of educational institutions and programs." To meet the high standards required of AACSB, faculty members must publish at least two articles in refereed journals within the past five years for undergraduate instruction or at least three articles in the past five years for graduate instruction.

 

Faculty utilize their own research as well as the research of others to create value in the classroom. Dr. Mishra's current project, "dynamics of Stock Market Return Volatility: Evidence from Singapore and Thailand," helps students to understand the global economy, to comprehend global markets and to invest on a global scale. With 52 foreign countries represented at McNeese, or 5 percent of the student population, integrating global understanding into the curriculum is sound business practice.

 

 

 

Recipient, Calcasieu Parish Development Board Professorship for Industrial and Economic Development

 

About 10 years ago, Dr. Ron Darbeau and his student researchers discovered a novel approach to making polymers – a discovery that could have a profound impact on industrial manufacturing.

 

The finding, made with the assistance of fellow chemists Dr. Ulku Ramelow and the late Dr. Mark Delaney, could not have been discovered without the preliminary data funded by the endowed Calcasieu Parish Development Board Professorship for Industrial and Economic Development, according to Darbeau.

 

"This endowed professorship allowed us to purchase chemicals, supplies and equipment and to support student researchers among other things.” Although he was the principal recipient of the professorship, Darbeau prefers to delegate credit for the patent to his fellow researchers, both faculty members and students.

 

"If not for the three of us – Dr. Ramelow, Dr. Delaney and myself – being in the same building at the same time, we would have never earned this patent. It was a dovetail of each of our interests and areas of expertise,” Darbeau said. "And if not for the endowed professorship, we could have never funded the preliminary data to get to that point. Everything just came together.”

 

According to Darbeau, the professorship not only serves as seed money for future endeavors, it also demonstrates a university’s commitment to education and research.

 

"Without student-assisted research, particularly in the field of science, aspiring scientists may not receive the training they need to make breakthroughs that could shape the future, Darbeau explained. "That is why it is so important for universities to create a culture of research. There is nothing more encouraging to undergraduates than to do hands-on research with their professors. Students benefit from their research experiences and many continue their research studies in graduate or medical schools.”

He added, "People think it takes hundreds of thousands of dollars to perform research, but that isn't always true. This patent is just one example of that."

 

 

 

Recipient, Violet Howell Professorship in Environmental Science

In 1988, public concerns about the manufacture, distribution and use of chemicals prompted the International Council of Chemical Associations to develop an initiative known as Responsible Care, a voluntary program that encourages chemical companies and associations to work together to improve health, safety and environmental performance. When the initiative reached Southwest Louisiana in the early 1990s, Dr. Harold Stevenson, professor of biological and environmental sciences, was on the long list of potential members to serve on the organization's local community advisory panel.

"I was on the B-list, but I made it,” Stevenson said. "After about three meetings, I realized how great it was for the plant administrators and community to have an open dialogue and I realized I could utilize the university to do my own research about the relationships between industry and Southwest Louisiana.”

Stevenson was awarded the Violet Howell Professorship in Environmental Science through the McNeese Foundation and used that leverage to meet with plant administrators face-to-face and arrange his own community meetings. These meetings dealt with issues, problems and concerns specific to the area.

Community members, media, plant officials, scientists, doctors and activists packed into Baker Auditorium for Stevenson's first forum, which focused on regional cancer rates.

"My goal was for the public to know what's going on – the good and the bad,” Stevenson said.

Unlike the panels sponsored by Responsible Care, Stevenson had the flexibility to gear his forums toward a variety of biological and environmental concerns. He followed-up the forum on cancer rates with informational meetings on birth defects and other health concerns that had nothing to do with local industry. His students were able to use the forums as a foundation for research work.

"I learned new things and I was able to transfer that knowledge in my classroom,” Stevenson said. "The professorship with the foundation gave me the credentials and the opportunities to do things I otherwise would not have done. It provided another window to the world for myself and my students.”

 

 

Recipient, Henry C. Alexander Endowed Professorship in Music

Recipient, JPMorgan Chase Endowed Professorship in Music

 

For Dr. Michael Buckles, teaching and playing music go hand in hand. Buckles, an assistant professor of performing arts at McNeese State University, is also an accomplished violinist who has traveled and performed in concert and recital halls across the South.

 

Funding for his performances stemmed from two professorships, the Henry C. Alexander Endowed Professorship in Music and the JPMorgan Chase Endowed Professorship in Music.

 

"Until you have name recognition, you have to find venues that are interested in listening to you play. If you are invited to play, you have to have your own money for travel and expenses. It’s not easy, but it has to be done. Performances provide name recognition and money provides for the initial performances,” Buckles said.

 

Buckles has performed in Lafayette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Tennessee and Texas with recitals at Texas Christian and Loyola universities planned for this fall. This summer he cut a recording at the University of Virginia for Innova, the music label of the American Composers Forum.

 

Another challenge he is tackling includes learning guitar solos from rock ‘n’ roll history. While other musicians may have played music outside their preferred genre before, it’s a different kind of situation for Buckles, who has listened mostly to classical music throughout his life and is only vaguely familiar with rock ‘n’ roll. Add that to the fact he’ll be playing a violin rather than a guitar.

 

His performance career may keep him busy, but Buckles emphasizes that being an educator is just as important as concerts and recital halls.

 

"I can’t place a monetary value on the endowed professorships because I’m still seeing the fruits of those awards. I have received calls based on my recent performances, and I would not have been able to make those performances without the professorship,” Buckles said.

 

Communities are also benefiting from Buckles’ knowledge and talent. String programs were developed in both the New Orleans and Lake Charles areas, and he has served as director of the Lake Charles area youth orchestra.

 

According to Buckles, in the end, it all comes back to where it started.

 

"The seeds of my current successes came from those initial awards. When you have a moment to stop, reflect and celebrate accomplishment with your colleagues and friends, it’s definitely special.”