NO.19 | WINTER 2008 In 1957, Tech’s Air Force ROTC Class graduated with soaring dreams of military service. It was the year that Bulldogs shook their hips and sang “Let’s rock, everybody, let’s rock” at the film debut of Jailhouse Rock. Also that year, Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat became a bedtime tale, Sputnik SILICON BAYOU orbited the Earth, and a new house cost $12,000. The Louisiana Tech Enterprise Front Row: Col. Walter Stagg, Col. Mary Virginia Stovall, Maj. Howard Carlton, Maj. Leroy Erskine, Maj. Billy Kline Second Row: Lt. Col. Don Stacy, Maj. Wilford Buckelew, Maj. Fred Westergaard, Maj. Victor Gouax, Maj. James Roach Center means business Third Row: Maj. Ralph McMickle, M/Sgt. Bill McRaney, Cadet Second Class Ernest McNeil, M/Sgt. Ernest Schuler, M/Sgt. Richard Hearne ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR Louisiana Tech University Russell Nolan banks on his university Division of University Advancement NONPROFIT ORG. P.O. Box 3183 U.S. POStaGE SMALL WONDER Ruston, LA 71272-0001 paID PERMIT NO. 533 Josh Brown makes nanotechnology history PEORIA, IL MAN IN THE MIDDLE Joe D. Waggonner Center for Bipartisan Politics and Public Policy crosses the proverbial aisle LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY www.latech.edu ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OFFICERS CONTENTS John Allen Lomax Napper – President – Vice President Cliff Merritt Kenny Guillot – Treasurer – Past President Daniel D. Reneau – Ex-Officio BOARD OF DIRECTORS Bobby Aillet, Dr. John Areno, Darryl Asken, Lyn Bankston, Chris Bentley, A WORD FROM THE Ayres Bradford, Ayres Bradford, Jr., ALUMNI DIRECTOR Gabe Bratton, Allison Bushnell, Mark Colwick, Lee Denny, Teena Doxey, Brennan Easley, Wayne Fleming, The last few months have been an exciting time to be a part of the Tech Family! The Jeff Hawley, Justin Hinckley, numerous accomplishments of your University should make you proud to be a part of Marsha Jabour, Chris Jordan, Tim King, Louisiana Tech. This issue of the Louisiana Tech Magazine will highlight a sampling of Dawn McDaniel, James Moore, the accomplishments of the past few months. Jeff Parker, Bob Prestridge, With the Tech administration committed to keeping up the positive momentum, I Richard Simmons, Stephanie Sisemore, believe 2008 will have some exciting memories to record. Some of these will include Markus Snowden, Michael Stephens, advancements in the academic and research arenas, construction projects throughout the Barry Stevens, Trey Williams campus and an ever-present commitment to reaching the Tech 2020 goals. 4 The Alumni Association will also be moving forward to continue to keep alumni ALUMNI ASSOCIATION STAFF and friends connected to your University. The calendar of events is filling up fast and I Corre Stegall hope you will make plans to participate in many of the exciting events this year. Football – Vice President for University Advancement season will definitely be exciting as the Alumni Association will begin hosting pre-game 8 10 17 Ryan Richard tailgates in the new Argent Pavilion on August 30, when the Bulldog football team kicks – Director of Alumni Relations off the season against Mississippi State. However, don’t wait until then to get involved; Jackie Stevens events are currently being planned including crawfish boils, student send-offs and Tech – Coordinator of Advancement Programs nights at various professional athletic venues. Many activities will coincide with the Barbara Swart Western Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament, which will be held at Louisiana Tech – Administrative Coordinator May 22-25. A complete list of events can be viewed on our Web site, www.latechalumni.org. 2 | From the 16th Floor 17 | Star Studded Speaking of the Web site, in the coming weeks the Division of University Job Well Done Jack Ramsaur Joins Elite Rank EDITORIAL AND Advancement (the Alumni Association, the University Foundation and CHAMPS) will DESIGN TEAM launch a new interactive Web site. The look will remain the same, but the features will be greatly improved. You will have the ability to network with other Tech alumni, search 4 | An Enterprising Attitude 18 | Joe D. Waggonner Dave Guerin the database for classmates or look for jobs posted by Tech alumni. These are just a few Silicon Valley Meets The Piney Hills A True Bulldog – Director, Marketing and Public Relations of the features the Web site will offer. I am sure you will find them useful tools to keep Magin LaSov Gregg connected to your University. Watch your mail for more information on the new Web – Senior Writer/Editor site and your log-in information. 8 | Alumnus of the Year: Russell Nolan 19 | Josh Brown Mark Coleman Your continued loyalty to Louisiana Tech is more important now than ever before. I Indebted To Tech First Finish – Designer, Louisiana Tech Department of Marketing and encourage you to support your University by being a member of the Alumni Association, Public Relations making a contribution through the University Foundation, joining CHAMPS and Donny Crowe sharing your experience at Tech with prospective college students – encouraging them 10 | Young Alumnus of the Year: Alice Fakier 24 | News Around Campus – Photographer, Louisiana Tech Department of Marketing to explore what Tech has to offer students. The staff of the Division of University No Place Like Home and Public Relations Advancement is here to serve you. Please contact us if we can assist you in any of these areas. Malcolm Butler, Amber Miles, Judith Roberts 26 | Foundation Spotlight – Contributing Writers Sincerely, 11 | Arlis Scogin Distinguished Service Award: Leonard Green 28 | News About You Louisiana Tech Magazine is published Their Biggest Fan semiannually by the Louisiana Tech Alumni Association. We welcome your letters: Louisiana Tech Magazine 12 | Distinguished College Alumni P.O. Box 3183 | Ruston LA 71272 Ryan W. Richard Larry James, George Hayes, Debbie Silver, www.latechalumni.org Harvey Cragon, Louis Waller P.S. Stay connected between issues of the Louisiana Tech Magazine by visiting the Alumni Association Web site www.latechalumni.org. You can read the latest campus stories, update your alumni information and even plan your next vacation. THE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION AND BUSINESS WELCOME NEW DEANS COLLEGE OF EDUCATION: DR. DAVID GULLATT Cardboard boxes line the walls of Dr. David Gullatt’s office, his home at Louisiana Tech for FROM THE 16TH FLOOR nearly 10 years. While Gullatt made a major move when he replaced Dr. Jo Ann Dauzat as the college’s dean this month, he likes to tell visitors that the boxes aren’t for packing. They remind him of his humble beginnings at Simsboro High School, where Gullatt began his career after Each fall, the campus is alive with activity, and Homecoming is an eagerly graduating with his degree in education from Tech. anticipated time. It’s always gratifying to welcome alumni and friends back to Louisiana At Simsboro High School, Gullatt lacked a classroom, a typical occupational hazard for first- Tech. I have the honor of recognizing and commending Tech’s distinguished alumni year teachers. So he compartmentalized his course-load into boxes and the lesson stuck. Today who have made significant contributions in their fields. Equally important, these boxes still keep Gullatt organized, and organization remains a fitting component of the new alumni have touched their communities with acts of kindness and compassion, values dean’s leadership philosophy. that Tech holds dear and seeks to instill in all of our students. I know you’ll be inspired “If I’m going to do something, I follow through,” he says. as you read their stories in this magazine. As always, there’s much good news to share! For Gullatt, serving on the faculty and administration at Tech has been a lifelong dream that I’ll start with one of our most visible areas of excitement: this magazine’s cover story he worked diligently to materialize. His roots are planted firmly in Ruston, where Gullatt was about our growing business incubator, the Louisiana Tech Enterprise Center. You born and reared. He realized his goal of becoming a teacher during his first semester at Tech, after may remember an article entitled “In Support of Inc.” that appeared in the Spring/ he had received strong mentoring from family, high school teachers and Tech professors. Summer 2005 edition. That story heralded a new level of commitment to research and “I had Ruth Johnson for math at Ruston High School, and she’s a big reason why I’m here,” development that has yielded the next phase of technological innovation at Louisiana says Gullatt. “It has been my lifelong dream to serve and to pay back Tech for getting me started.” Tech. The work in which these dynamic businesses are engaged has the potential Gullatt became the college’s new dean on Jan. 1, when Dauzat retired. As a student, Gullatt to breathe new life into the economy of Louisiana and beyond; Tech is strongly gravitated toward Tech’s education program because his uncles, who were educators, encouraged supporting these endeavors. him to pursue the field. He chose math, he says with a chuckle, because he didn’t “want to cut up Start-up companies that have emerged from Tech-related research have made frogs.” And then, there was that college dean who assured him that he would always have a job if themselves right at home in the incubator. In fact, we’re also at full operational he pursued math. Gullatt joined Louisiana Tech’s curriculum and instruction department as chair capacity at the new Humana Enterprise Center, which is located in the new biomedical in 1998, after leaving a teaching post at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches. One of engineering building. These incubators have paved the way for Louisiana Tech’s first his most noteworthy achievements came in 2006 when the Louisiana Association of Computer research park campus, approved this year.