N O. 1 4 | SPRING/SUMMER 2005 RESEARCH BEYOND BORDERS Tech Leads Drive to Topple Walls IN SUPPORT OF INC. Incubator Hatches New Startup Businesses GAME FAR FROM OVER Karl Malone Receives Tower Medallion In 1970, Tech’s engineering and science research was dawning. It was the year Apollo 13 astronauts said, “OK, Houston, we’ve had a problem here” after an oxygen tank exploded en route to the moon. SUBSCRIBING TO SUCCESS Also that year, Green Revolution visionary Norman Borlaug received the Nobel Peace Prize, teach-ins and rallies marked the first Earth Day, Rosemary Ellis Turns a New Page at Prevention floppy disks began backing up computers, the discovery of retroviruses foreshadowed genetic engineering, and Intel introduced a memory chip that stored 1,024 bits of data. Louisiana Tech University Division of University Advancement NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE P.O. Box 3183 Ruston, LA 71272-0001 PAID JACKSON, MS PERMIT NO. 80 LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY www.latech.edu ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OFFICERS Steve Bates Tim King – President – Vice President Russ Nolan Robert Kyle CONTENTS – Treasurer – Past President Daniel D. Reneau – Ex-Officio 2 | From the 16th Floor A model for progress BOARD OF DIRECTORS John Adams, Bobby Aillet, Ron Ainsworth, John Allen, Dr. John Areno, 4 | Collaboration Revolution Paige Baughman, Ayres Bradford, Tech leads drive to topple walls Carroll Cochran, Todd Davison, John Denny, James Duke, Allison Duncan, A WORD FROM THE Dr. Grant Glover, Kenny Guillot, ALUMNI DIRECTOR 8 | In Support of Inc. Chris Hammons, Justin Hinckley, Incubator hatches new startup businesses Marsha Jabour, Chris Jordan, Louisiana Tech just completed another outstanding academic year of Dr. John Maxwell, Mac McBride, accomplishments, capped by a commencement ceremony that will be remembered Cliff Merritt, Antonio Robinson, for countless years to come. Robert Saums,, Stephanie Sisemore, 10 | Game Far From Over Kristy Smith, Markus Snowden, Karl Malone receives Tower Medallion First, Gov. Kathleen Blanco gave the keynote address to the largest graduating Barry Stevens, Bennie Thornell, Eddie Tinsley class in the history of our institution. (See Page 23.) Speaking to a crowd of nearly 10,000, Gov. Blanco inspired everyone with her tale of pursuing and claiming the 12 | Subscribing to Success governorship against so many odds. ALUMNI ASSOCIATION STAFF Rosemary Ellis turns a new page at Prevention Corre Stegall Then, retired NBA great Karl Malone received the prestigious Tower Medallion – Vice President for University Advancement Award for induction into the Hall of Distinguished Alumni. Karl has been a stalwart 14 Kyle Edmiston supporter of Tech and a terrific ambassador for our university. Tech’s senior writer, | Summer of Hope Tech’s Explorers Camp opens doors for students – Director of Alumni Relations Darlene Bush Tucker, sat down with Karl to talk about family and his new life after Ryan Richard the NBA (Page 10). – Coordinator of Alumni Programs Barbara Swart Also during commencement ceremonies, Tech graduated 20 doctoral students and 16 | A Numbers Game – Administrative Assistant achieved the elite status of research university-doctoral 2, based on the number of Paul Millsap counts his blessings on and off the court doctorates awarded (30 or more per year for at least three years as specified by the Southern Regional Education Board). MARKETING AND 18 | Foundation Spotlight PUBLIC RELATIONS The reclassification is a significant step forward in our university’s research and Benefactors help students who walk in their footsteps Kate Archer development goals. Speaking of R&D, Tech is opening a technology incubator to – Director, Marketing and Public Relations spawn companies from research occurring inside the university (Page 8). 4 Darlene Bush Tucker 20 | Young Alumni – Senior Writer As you read this magazine, the university and the Alumni Association are finalizing Making strides in subtle and not-so-subtle ways Mark Coleman plans for the exciting months ahead. Visit www.latechalumni.org for details, but in – Designer August, the Alumni Association will host events in Alexandria/Pineville, Covington/ Donny Crowe Mandeville, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and El Dorado, Ark., as well as our signature 23 | News Around Campus – Photographer event in North Louisiana, Happening XXIV. A spectrum of highlights and firsts Melissa Humble – Contributing Photographer The Happening is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 9, at the Monroe Civic Center and is 10 12 14 the largest single event hosted by the Alumni Association each year. 26 | News About You Campbell Laird We share your milestones – Contributing Illustrator Meanwhile, plan on joining us Oct. 21-22 for Homecoming weekend. Our Bulldogs Anne McLean will face the University of North Texas at 3 p.m. on Saturday, and the university has – Contributing Writer many activities scheduled during the weekend including the Alumni Association 32 | What Matters to Alumni Elena Parker Awards Dinner at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, in the Student Center. A parents’ perspective on the Tech Family – Creative Services Manager Gather your family and friends and head over to reconnect with former classmates! Louisiana Tech Magazine is published semiannually by the Louisiana Tech Alumni Association. We welcome your letters: Louisiana Tech Magazine P.O. Box 3183 | Ruston LA 71272 www.latechalumni.org Meanwhile, Tech is completing more than $100 million in participants from throughout north Louisiana. improvements to support its programs, faculty, staff and students. Research paid off for Tech in still other ways this year when we signed joint agreements for invention licensing that will University Park, a $22 million student-housing complex, bring Tech its first direct royalty income from the university’s welcomed its first residents last fall. Located north of the main technology-transfer efforts. campus, the complex can house more than 400 students. At a cost of $550,000, a pedestrian bridge is under construction Then there was commencement. Not only did the ceremony that will join the complex to the main campus. pair Gov. Kathleen Blanco and Tower Medallion honoree Karl Malone, it also gave me a chance to share the good news that Also last fall, the new Hale Hall welcomed admissions and Tech had won reclassification as an elite Southern Regional architecture into space that blended modern amenities with Education Board research university-doctoral 2, based on the Hale’s historic look. Hale joined other buildings that got a number of doctorates it awards (30 or more per year for at least fresh chance to serve the university – the remodeled Ropp three years). Center and Tolliver Hall. FROM THE Also for the third straight year, graduate student enrollment set And the best is yet to come. a record at 2,379, up from 2,227 in 2003. Over five years, the increase totals almost 100 percent. A long-cherished dream gained a tangible foothold at Tech this 16TH FLOOR spring when a groundbreaking ceremony heralded the start of Other recognition for Tech’s improved graduation rates construction for a new Biomedical Engineering Building. The included notice from the Education Trust, a national $10.5 million project is expected to be completed by the end academics-advocacy group that commended Tech’s rates “EVEN BELIEVING IN THE TECH FAMILY LIKE I DO, I of 2006. improvement in a 2004 report. Then this spring, Tech was one of 12 campuses selected for an on-site visit as Ed Trust STILL STAND IN AWE OF YOU. BECAUSE YOU NEVER From a wider perspective, the Louisiana Optical Network partnered with the American Association of State Colleges and Initiative is coming, and Tech, led by Les Guice, vice president Universities, and the National Association of System Heads, to for research and development, took the initiative to host a FORGET WHO YOU ARE, AND YOU NEVER SETTLE study schools with graduation rate successes. LONI Symposium at the Institute for Micromanufacturing to help anyone interested get a handle on the powerful research And that’s Tech in a nutshell; a model for progress. FOR MEDIOCRITY.” capabilities coming our way. But you don’t have to just watch Tech grow. Because when you - Daniel D. Reneau, president Also in the spirit of technology collaboration, Tech, again led belong to the Tech Family, you can go home again. Just ask by Les, hosted Bio Research Day at the university’s Technology Karl Malone. Transfer Center in Shreveport. The event drew higher-ed I’VE ALWAYS BELIEVED IN LOUISIANA TECH, BUT IT HUMBLES I see faculty researchers like Walt Besio motivated to reach out me time and again to see that belief so powerfully reflected in in the spirit of collaboration in order to further his calling to your commitment to excellence in education. fight pain and suffering. Even believing in the Tech Family like I do, I still stand in awe Then when I turn to the wider university, I see more evidence of you. Because you never forget who you are, and you never of an enduring commitment to excellence. settle for mediocrity. A major marker of success for Tech was that we got a I see alumni like future Hall of Famer Karl Malone back preliminary “clean slate” recommendation from the visiting acting like a good neighbor and not an NBA superstar, and I committee of the Commission on Colleges of the Southern see alumni like Rosemary Ellis, leading one of the nation’s top Association of Colleges and Schools. magazines but chatting about work like any of us would. On other accreditation fronts, the College of Education and I see many of our other alumni more quietly revolutionizing the College of Administration and Business met with great their individual corners of the world, but with just as much success in their reviews. talent, heart and assurance as anyone anywhere. In other symbols of academic excellence, the ACT score for I see benefactors like Harry and Rubye Gaston, and like entering freshmen rose from 22.2 to 22.5, and 75 percent of Clarence Faulk, making sure more students get a shot at first-time, full-time freshmen from Louisiana came in as TOPS success.