NO.21 | WINTER 2009 CRYSTAL Overachieving UnderDogs win CLEAR Independence Bowl ALUM OF THE YEAR Connie Howard makes us look good SAM WYLY ‘Opportunity is everywhere’ ON-CAMPUS EVOLUTION See Tech grow – and grow LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY www.latech.edu ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OFFICERS John Allen Lomax Napper CONTENTS – President – Vice President Cliff Merritt Kenny Guillot – Treasurer – Past President Daniel D. Reneau – Ex-Officio BOARD OF DIRECTORS John Areno, Darryl Asken, Chris Bentley, Ayres Bradford, Gabe Bratton, Joe Brown, A WORD FROM THE Allison Bushnell, Mark Colwick, Nathan Darby, Lee Denny, ALUMNI DIRECTOR Teena Doxey, Brennan Easley, Ben Haley, Andrew Hicks, What a great time it is to be a part of the Tech Family! Justin Hinckley, Marsha Jabour, If you weren’t at the game, I hope you watched on ESPN’s national telecast as the Larry Jackson, Chris Jordan, Bulldogs became Independence Bowl Champions. This is a source of pride and excitement Tim King, Fred McGaha, for the entire Tech Nation! This issue gives a great recap of a highly successful season. James Moore, Bob Prestridge, The I-Bowl Championship is not the only source of excitement for Tech; many other Caroline Reaves, David Rentrop, significant accomplishments are taking place on the campus. If you’ve not visited recently, Michele Robinson, Richard Simmons, I encourage you to make plans to visit the campus very soon! The campus landscape is Stephanie Sisemore, Michael Stephens, changing dramatically with additions and renovations to the athletic complexes as well as Ricky Stubbs, Trey Williams the much-needed construction of new on-campus housing. 4 Exciting things are taking place not only on campus, but also in the lives of you, our ALUMNI ASSOCIATION STAFF alumni. This issue of the Louisiana Tech Magazine features the Alumni of the Year for Corre Stegall 2008, the Distinguished Alumni of each college, and as always the News About You section – Vice President for University Advancement and insert that includes births, marriages, and deaths. Please send information so we can 8 16 18 Ryan Richard let your classmates know if you have recently been married, have a new bundle of joy, have – Director of Alumni Relations had a job change, or have received some type of special recognition. You can send that via Jackie Stevens the News About You link on our interactive Web site www.latechalumni.org. – Coordinator of Advancement Programs Speaking of the Web site, I encourage you to stay connected to Tech between issues of the Louisiana Tech Magazine by visiting the Web site. The most up-to-date information on Barbara Swart 2 From the 16th Floor 11 Distinguished College Alumni academics, athletics, and alumni events is posted on the Web site on a daily basis. – Administrative Coordinator Sharing the view Shirley Porter Reagan, Sharilyn Gasaway, Sandy Price If you prefer to have information sent to you via e-mail, be sure to sign up for one Johnson, Virgil Orr, Tim Brandon of the electronic newsletters, The Tech Update or the E-news. A new feature recently EDITORIAL AND added to the Web site is a student referral link, enabling you to send information on a 3 A Day in the Life DESIGN TEAM high school student who may be interested in becoming a part of the Tech Family. Who SGA president Laura Hogan 16 Sam Wyly ‘Opportunity is everywhere’ Dave Guerin better to help continue to recruit the brightest and best students than current members of 4 A Fall to Flip Over – Director, Marketing and Public Relations the Tech Family? All of these links can be found on the main page of the Web site www. latechalumni.org in the left hand column. Overachieving UnderDogs finish season with I-Bowl 17 That’s the Spirit! Teddy Allen In the coming months, the Alumni Association is planning numerous events including victory – Senior Writer/Editor A new place for minds young and old to Park crawfish boils, a spring football game tailgate, road shows with various members of the Mark Coleman Athletics Department including Coach Dooley, overseas travel opportunities, pre-football 6 Q and A with Bruce Van de Velde 18 Model of Leadership – Designer, Louisiana Tech Department of Marketing and game activities at Auburn, Navy, and LSU, and of course home tailgate activities in the Tech’s deputy athletic director has some game Take a tour around your evolving, expanding campus Public Relations Argent Pavilion. I hope you will participate in the events in your area or on campus and Donny Crowe continue to be an active member of the Alumni Association. To ensure that you receive 7 Taking Care of Business 20 Randy Moffett – Photographer, Louisiana Tech Department of Marketing invitations to events, please notify the Alumni Association of any changes in your mailing LaTech Sports Properties is born – and growing UL System’s new president a ‘North Louisiana guy’ and Public Relations address and e-mail address as soon as possible. This can all be done on the Web site Brian Schutza www.latechalumni.org or by contacting Barbara Swart at the Marbury Alumni Center at 8 Alum of the Year: Connie Howard 22 News Around Campus – Student Photographer, Louisiana Tech Department of 318.255.7950. Always in Style Marketing and Public Relations 26 Foundation Spotlight 10 Young Alum of the Year: Ben Ewald Louisiana Tech Magazine is published On the ball for his students 28 News About You semiannually by the Louisiana Tech Alumni Association. We welcome your letters: Louisiana Tech Magazine Ryan W. Richard P.O. Box 3183 | Ruston LA 71272 P.S. Find your Tech classmates by logging on to our Web site www.latechalumni.org. www.latechalumni.org A FROM THE DAY 16TH FLOOR IN I have discovered the best part of having my office on the top floor of the tallest building in Lincoln Parish. It’s the view. The oaks and pines and maple and dogwood, the expanding campus, the wonderful town of Ruston. You can see it all from up here. THE But like many of you, I see more than that. I see promise. I see perseverance. I see, quite positively, everything I’ve come to love about our community and everything we love about our university, about what we call “the Tech family.” I see our continual quest to be better than we were the day before. LIFE The unequaled quality of our faculty, staff and students. The quiet resolve of alumni who have never forgotten where they came from, who have never forgotten that this was home, and that home it will always be. laura hogan I see a gracious and welcoming place mixed with the grit and sweat necessary to earn all we’ve gained. I see our Bulldog attitude. Much of that view is captured in this edition of our Louisiana Tech Magazine. The Being president of a student body sounds regal. student, but these organization presidents can gain access to the Tech family beams at the accomplishments of our distinguished alumni honored this High and mighty. Automatic Teacher’s Pet. info I have and spread it to their groups and affect the entire year, at the continuing improvements on and expansion of our campus, and at much Only it doesn’t work that way. Laura Hogan, president of the campus,” said Hogan, a senior English major and prospective law more, including the autumn campaign of a resurgent, scrappy Bulldogs football team. Louisiana Tech Student Government Association, will tell you the school student. This young never-say-die team had to come from behind in seven of its eight wins, position is more about service than Secret Service. Hogan was surprised to discover last fall that so much of the including its final one: a 17-10 victory in the 33rd annual Independence Bowl. The Tech A senior from Choudrant, she’s in her campus office in Tolliver SGA president’s responsibilities involved off-campus duty. Besides Bulldogs raising a championship trophy at midfield after a bowl game is always a pretty Hall around 7 most mornings; by-laws in the SGA’s constitution coordinating many campus activities and attending administrative picture, one that had been a while in coming. But surpassing expectations is what this require she maintain 20 office hours a week. And she attends lots meetings with Tech faculty and staff, she’s been to monthly team was about. They were a sight to see and, like you, I can hardly wait to see them play of meetings, both after office hours and out of town. functions throughout the state for meetings with other Louisiana again in the fall. “Student Body President” is about service, not being served. It’s university SGA presidents; this council of student body presidents Which reminds me of something else I see from the 16th floor: the future, the a concept she embraced early, one she explained through her Web works on initiatives for the school year. blending of a remarkable past with an exciting present. To be a part of it should make site and to her fellow Tech students when she ran for the position This year the state chose to focus on a program that began at each of us very proud, very hopeful, very willing to help push each other to be the best in the spring. Tech, one that reaches out to underprivileged children in Lincoln we can be so Louisiana Tech will be the best it can be. “I recognize that 12,000 as a whole is more important than Parish. As chair of the council’s Executive Initiatives Committee, Thank you for continuing to support your University in every way.