VIBRANT and VITAL: the Economic Engine of Southeast Texas and Beyond
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VOL. 47, NO. 1 | SUMMER 2019 VIBRANT AND VITAL: The Economic Engine of Southeast Texas and Beyond VIBRANT AND VITAL: | FROM THE PRESIDENT | CARDINAL CADENCE | IN THIS ISSUE | the magazine of lamar university The Economic Engine of VOL 47, NO. 1 | SUMMER 2019 Southeast Texas and Beyond amar University is proud of the impact we have within our 4 Science & Technology community of Southeast Texas and beyond. We are a socio- economic hub for our largely industrial-based area not wows at grand opening Through a rigorous curriculum, enriching Cardinal Cadence is published by Lamar University, Lonly with the thousands of career-ready graduates we produce a member of The Texas State University System extracurricular programs and abundant each year but also for the research our faculty and students and an affirmative action, equal opportunity 6 Faculty Profile: do that is timely and often locally-focused. LU also contributes educational institution. undergraduate research opportunities, as well as Jim Sanderson greatly to the arts within the region through the College of Fine Kate Downing, Executive Editor, Special internships and externships organized and managed Arts and Communication and the Center for the History and Assistant to the President and Director of Culture. This issue of Cadence concentrates on everything from Marketing Communications 8 Imagine it. Design it. by an attentive faculty, students are career and grad healthcare, banking and retail to restaurants and culture, along Cynthia Hicks ’89, ’93, Editor, Creative Director Build it. Improve it. school ready upon graduation—ready to compete, with faculty, staff and students who influence and connect LU to Daniel McLemore ’09, Associate Director of Marketing Communications the rest of our region, state, country and global community. ready to contribute, ready to succeed early. Our ’15, Graphic Design Coordinator The university’s new 83,000-square-foot Science and Amanda Toups 10 JAMP program provides alumni affirm that preparedness, while employers Technology Building, our first fully academic-focused facility built on campus in almost five path to medical school decades, opened in April. It consists of seven instructional and 14 research labs, a large CONTRIBUTORS recognize and value it. The socio-economic influence Writing | Mandy Arceneaux, Hannah Carlson, Caitlin project instruction room, and a maker’s space where students can fabricate ideas they develop Duerler, Casey Ford, Ryan Litchfield, Daniel Pemberton, of Lamar University—through its preparation of into product prototypes. The building will begin by housing four interdisciplinary research J.T. Robertson, Krista Salter, Kayce Smith, Shelly Vitanza, 12 Cyclical strength teams covering topics such as natural remediation solutions, rural healthcare, automated Cooper Welch, Jennifer Wyse talented employees, visionary entrepreneurs device development and technologically advanced education techniques. It also features art Photography | Evie Clifton, Bri Gore, Brandon Gouthier, and skilled professionals—is vital, far reaching, Daniel McLemore 14 Soul of a City representative of the state of Texas, particularly within the sciences and technology space. incalculable and indispensable. Within healthcare, LU has numerous programs supporting this burgeoning industry, such as Circulation includes 85,000 copies distributed to alumni, our pre-med curriculum; the Joanne Gay Dishman School of Nursing, one of our most highly faculty, staff and friends of Lamar University. If you have 16 Staff Profile: sought-after majors at the university; and our audiology and deaf studies programs which are received more than one copy of this publication, please let us know. Norman Bellard among the top in the country, as well as the work we are doing in speech and hearing sciences in addressing pressing issues through research and clinical offerings in our community. One of Changes of address may be sent to: University Advancement the articles in this issue of Cadence focuses on healthcare in Southeast Texas, and one showcases P.O. Box 10011 18 Holistic education heals some of our students accepted into an innovative and highly selective program called the Joint Beaumont, Texas 77710 Admission Medical Program. or [email protected] In addition to the exceptional work we do in the healthcare arena, LU has a long legacy 22 Hamza helps others heal of preparing some of the best engineers in the state of Texas. This also is true of bankers, DIVISION OF UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT Juan J. Zabala ’07, Vice President 10 restaurateurs, business owners and more as our alumni often cite their practical-based learning at 23 Exploring our past, LU as preparing them better than their competitors in the job market. Along with a short article Shannon Copeland Figueroa ’02, ’03, ’07, Director of Alumni Affairs and Advancement Services enriching our future on this hands-on learning approach within the College of Engineering, this issue also features a few of these highly successful graduates, including Pat Parsons, Tony Nguyen and the Walters P.O. Box 10011 29 Athletics News Beaumont, Texas 77710 brothers – Aaron, Brent and Clint. (409) 880-8419 or fax (409) 880-8409 24 We’re in the The cultural offerings are exemplary year-round through the many museums, art shows and people business 4 32 LU News festivals as well as the Symphony of Southeast Texas, but the events held during the holidays, LAMAR UNIVERSITY ALUMNI OFFICE such as LU’s annual Messiah concert, are some of my personal favorites. We are proud of the When visiting campus, you’re invited to stop by the 34 Class Notes art exhibited at our campus’ Dishman Art Museum and the area’s historical legacy on display at Alumni Office at the John Gray Center, Rudy C. Williams 28 LU retires Sarver jersey our Spindletop Gladys City Boomtown Museum. Additionally, LU’s new Center for History and Building, Suite 102, 855 Jim Gilligan Way. 42 Playing Koi: Culture has held numerous programs since its inception in 2017 and during the past year created P.O. Box 10005 Cookies & classes LU bio-chem alum three center fellow positions. Each of these faculty represent a different area of study and have Beaumont, Texas 77710 30 (409) 880-8921, or (800) 298-4839 chooses sushi conducted impactful research involving our community’s history. [email protected] I hope you are enjoying your summer, and thank you for taking a moment to learn more of lamar.edu/alumni 33 Mineral exhibit: Unique what is currently going on at your university. to LU just as LU is unique SNAPSHOTS LAMAR UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | COLLEGE | to Southeast Texas Sincerely, Juan J. Zabala ’07, CEO Karen Nichols ’83, COO Engineering Cover photo by Daniel McLemore 5 P.O. Box 11500 Cover art by Amanda Toups Beaumont, Texas 77710 (409) 880-2117 15 Fine Arts & [email protected] 33 Communication lamar.edu/foundation Kenneth R. Evans, President Cardinal Cadence (USPS 017-254) is published THE TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM BOARD OF REGENTS 21 Arts & Sciences by Lamar University, 211 Redbird Lane, Brian McCall, Chancellor | Austin Beaumont, Texas 77710. William F. Scott, Chairman | Nederland Dr. Veronica Muzquiz Edwards | San Antonio 27 Business David Montagne, Vice Chairman | Beaumont Don Flores | El Paso Lamar University is an equal opportunity/affirmative | San Antonio | Baird action educational institution. Charlie Amato Nicki Harle 31 Education & Human Duke Austin | Houston Alan L. Tinsley | Madisonville Development Garry Crain | The Hills Katey McCall, Student Regent | Orange SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY BUILDING | COLLEGE SNAPSHOT: ENGINEERING | wows AT GRAND OPENING by Daniel Pemberton This past April, Lamar University opened the first fully academic Walking on Water building to its campus Goes Viral For years, Ajit Patki has taught Civil Engineers Compete Nationally in 40 years. The fluid mechanics. Every year, for The LU student chapter of American Society of Civil Engineers saved some of their focus on succeeding in extra credit, Patki encourages their Mechanics of Solids course for competing regionally and nationally in the American Society of Civil Engineers Steel Bridge Competition. students to participate and 83,000-square foot Competing teams are required to design a 1:10 scale model bridge prior to competition when teams demonstrate the properties must work together to construct their bridges under tight constraints followed by an intense stress test. building has been of a non-Newtonian fluid and The extraordinary task requires diligent attention to every single detail, all while working as a team. “I am a make it fun and exciting. Rising firm believer that multiple people working together and collaborating can develop a better solution than long awaited since to the challenge, students have one person on their own,” said Hayden Rice, steel bridge captain and a senior civil engineering major maintained a project that involves from Lake Jackson. construction began in using a mixture of cornstarch and The LU team first competed in the Texas-Mexico Regional Competition in Bryan, where they finished water inside a platform—giving third overall against teams from all over the region. With the honor came an invitation to the national May 2017. someone the ability to walk competition at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana where the team was awarded second place “Lamar University is a diverse research on water. for display. “I’m truly grateful to have been a part of this team again my senior year,” said building team member and senior Reid Johnson. “It is all still a little surreal to me. I’m just so proud of all the effort we “I’ve been looking forward for institution,” said President Ken Evans. put in and the performance at competition.” “Part of the university’s mission is to this extra credit project for some provide the means and opportunity time now after seeing a video SAE Mini Baja Wins Senior Design to the university community for on YouTube as a freshman,” said and Competes in Oregon Lucas Gobel, a junior mechanical game-changing research, which this Senior Design is the culmination of the undergraduate engineering student.