LSU'S Biweekly Newsletter for Faculty & Staff
April 8, 2005 |
VOL. 21, NO. 13 |
For the third consecutive year, LSU’s E. J. Ourso College of Business entrepreneurial programs, including the Entrepreneurship Institute and the Louisiana Business and Technology Center, have been ranked among the top 50 universities in the nation by Entrepreneur magazine. The 2005 Top 100 Entrepreneurial Colleges rankings appear in the April issue of Entrepreneur magazine and are posted on its Web site, www.entrepreneur.com/topcolleges.
“ The E. J. Ourso College has invested in programs related to entrepreneurship for the benefit of our entire region,” said Dean Robert T. Sumichrast. “This latest entrepreneurship ranking, along with other measures, reflects the high quality and broad scope of our contribution to economic development.”
Entrepreneur magazine published its first annual Top 100 Entrepreneurial Colleges ranking in 2003. The magazine conducts surveys and gather and analyze data on the entrepreneurship faculty and programs at schools throughout the United States. Schools are then ranked in tiers according to offerings; comprehensive programs at national universities are ranked together, entrepreneurship emphasis programs at regional schools are ranked together, and limited curriculum programs are ranked together.
The E. J. Ourso College at LSU is a comprehensive program and was ranked alongside Duke, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon and Baylor.
LSU, through the E. J. Ourso College, was recently named the third most entrepreneurial campus in the nation by Forbes.com and The Princeton Review.
Roland M. Toups, chairman and chief executive officer of Turner Industries, will be inducted into the LSU Engineering Hall of Distinction on Thursday, April 14, at 6:30 p.m. at the LSU Faculty Club.
Toups will join the ranks of previous Hall of Distinction honorees, where he will be recognized for his tireless commitment to Louisiana higher education and the Baton Rouge community.
A graduate of Georgia Institute of Technology, Toups received both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. He currently serves as chairman and chief executive officer of Turner Industries, an $800 million industrial services firm specializing in construction, maintenance, pipe fabrication, equipment and rigging operations. Turner Industries, which operates both domestically and overseas, is ranked as number 369 on the list of Forbes 500 Largest Private Companies.
Toups has served as chairman of numerous organizations including the Louisiana State Board of Regents, the Greater Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge and the Louisiana Chemical Industry Alliance. He has received the Inter-Civic Council’s Golden Deeds Award as Outstanding Citizen of the Year and has been inducted into LSU’s Construction Management Hall of Fame. He has also been named Fundraiser of the Year by the National Society of Fundraising Executives.
In 1979, the College of Engineering established the Hall of Distinction to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the engineering profession. Criteria for election include distinguished professional achievement, dedicated service to engineering and outstanding humanitarian activities. Eligibility is not limited to LSU alumni, although it is expected that nominees have had some connection with and shown interest in LSU.
“ In honoring these people, the College of Engineering feels that it is, at the same time, honoring all those engineers whose contributions, although not all visible to the public, are nonetheless significant and collectively exemplify engineering as a profession unparalleled in its contributions to society,” said Zaki Bassiouni, the Dean of the College of Enineering & Bert S. Turner Distinguished Professor at the College of Engineering.
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Chuck Wilson
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LSU Vice Provost Chuck Wilson has assumed new responsibilities as executive director of the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program.
Wilson, who is also a professor in LSU’s Coastal Fisheries Institute and the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, has been at LSU for more than 20 years. He earned his doctorate from the University of South Carolina in 1984 and joined LSU as an assistant professor in June of that year.
Wilson takes over from Jack Van Lopik, who retired at the end of last year after serving as Louisiana’s Sea Grant director for 36 years.
Based at LSU, Louisiana’s Sea Grant College Program is a federal-state partnership designed to “foster the stewardship of coastal and marine resources through varied research, education, outreach and technology transfer activities.” The Louisiana program is part of a 32-member network of state and regional programs with similar missions, funded and maintained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and participating partners. More than 300 academic institutions nationwide participate in competitively chosen, Sea Grant-sponsored projects annually.
Programs in the Sea Grant network have similar missions, but they concentrate their research and outreach efforts on topics of particular interest to stakeholders in their respective states. The stated mission of Louisiana Sea Grant is to “develop fundamental knowledge, technology, trained personnel and public awareness” in order to “advance the sustainable use of coastal and marine resources and environments.”
Wilson describes himself as a “product of the Sea-Grant philosophy,” because he received Sea Grant research support as a graduate student and during his early years at LSU. In addition, he has reviewed project proposals and participated in program review panels for the Sea Grant programs of several other states.
“ I have always aspired to be a Sea Grant director somewhere,” said Wilson. “I feel honored to have been considered and selected for this opportunity at LSU.”
Wilson has authored more than 100 publications and reports dealing with artificial reef ecology and development, fish life history, marine aquaculture and, most recently, the relationship between artificial reefs (including oil and gas platforms), natural reefs and their associated fish communities. He has served on a number of state and federal advisory boards, panels and committees concerned with fishery management and habitat issues in the Northern Gulf of Mexico.
He chaired the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences from 1995 to 2002 and directed the Coastal Ecology Institute from 2002 to 2003. He became a vice provost in LSU’s Office of Academic Affairs in October 2002.
Wilson said that he is excited about the opportunities provided by his new position because Sea Grant will play an important role in the future of Louisiana.
“ Sea Grant has a particularly important mission: outreach and education relating to coastal restoration and the state’s changing economy,” said Wilson. “Coastal Louisiana leads all other states in land loss, and yet, many in our state’s population suffer from ‘aquatic illiteracy.’ They don’t fully appreciate the beauty and importance of the state’s coastal areas. Our job is to get that information to the public and make sure they understand this crucial issue.
“ I look forward to partnering with President Jenkins, Chancellor O’Keefe and other higher education leaders in Louisiana to elevate awareness.”
Annual Enrollment for employee benefits, including health, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts and premiums only plan, is April 1, 2005 - April 30, 2005. Employees wishing to make a change to their health plans will be able to do so electronically via their PAWS accounts. The “one-time option to change plans” will not be permitted during the new plan year; therefore, the plan that is selected for July will be the plan that employees will have through June 30, 2006, with no exceptions.
In addition, employees may enroll or cancel dental and vision coverage. If they are currently participating in HRM’s Health Care and/or Dependent Care Tax Saver Flexible Spending Accounts they must re-enroll during April to participate in the new plan year.
Employees who want to change their health plans for July 1, 2005 may access their personalized enrollment forms through their PAWS accounts any time during the month of April and will not have to remit a paper copy to HRM. Employees hired after March 2, 2005 will not be able to access their personalized enrollment through PAWS and will have to remit a paper enrollment form to HRM. To change plans on-line, employees must simply log-on to their PAWS accounts, select “Employee Resources,” then select “INS Open Enrollment” and choose the desired plan. Changes may be made to an employee’s plan as often as they like during the month of April. The last plan election made during the month of April will be their insurance carrier for July 1. If they do not have a PAWS account their HR Contact will have their enrollment form. Other enrollment forms, including blank health enrollment forms, flexible spending account, dental and vision forms, can be obtained in the HRM-Benefits Office or at any of the Annual Enrollment meetings.
Ameritas will be offering a new dental insurance option with lower monthly premiums called the Basic Plan Option [Option 2]. This basic plan pays 100 percent for preventative care services, and benefits for basic and major services are paid on a fee-based schedule. The benefit schedule lets employees know up front in fixed dollar amounts how much the plan pays according to the scheduled amount. The fee-based schedule will be available on the HRM Benefits Web site at www.lsu.edu/benefits and at the annual enrollment meetings. The dental coverage that HRM currently offers their employees will be the Enhanced Option [Option 2] and will still be offered to all employees.
More details on the new dental option through Ameritas and health plan changes will also be available on the HRM Web site during the month of April, as well as in the HRM - Benefits Office located in 304 Thomas Boyd Hall. The Office of Human Resource Management will be sponsoring the Benefits Fair on April 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Representatives from health insurance plans, supplemental insurance providers and 403B providers will be available for questions during the fair.
Information regarding health plan changes and monthly premiums will be discussed at the following meetings:
*Interpreter for the hearing impaired will be present at this meeting.
The Definity Health Plan will also hold separate meetings to discuss plan enhancements on the following dates:
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| Lisette Oropesa |
LSU School of Music senior Lisette Oropesa was one of four winners of last weekend’s prestigious Metropolitan Opera competition. The Baton Rouge native performed on Sunday, March 20, with nine finalists on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, accompanied by full orchestra.
“ I feel my efforts and hopes have been rewarded with something that is going to open doors for me and take me far,” Oropesa said. “I did not expect to win, or even win the regionals because of my young age. So each time I won, it was a complete surprise.”
The nine finalists were the best among more than 1,500 would-be stars who entered the Met National Council’s 51st annual auditions. Those who made it through district-level competitions went on to regional auditions, and 22 semifinalists were then invited to New York, where they sang to piano accompaniment.
Oropesa performed a line in “Ruhe sanft” from Mozart’s “Zaide” and followed with Rosina’s “Una voce poco fa” from Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia.”
The four winners each get $15,000 toward their studies. All nine are eligible for consideration by the Met’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, and several are likely to go on to noteworthy careers. Oropesa, a coloratura soprano, will audition for the Lindemann program in April.
LSU musical arts doctoral candidate and tenor Chauncey Packer also competed in the final rounds of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions. He is coached by associate voice professor Kyle Marrero.
Oropesa studies voice with Robert Grayson, a former New York City Opera tenor. Oropesa is an important part of the current LSU Opera program and a highlight in the 75-year history of LSU’s storied opera program. She has a lead role in the LSU Opera’s upcoming production of Massanet’s “Werther,” in late April.
LSU’s Richard Nelson has been elected president of the International Management Development Association, or IMDA. Nelson, professor of mass communication and public affairs at LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication, is the first person from a communication program to hold the IMDA leadership mantle.
Founded in 1987, IMDA is a worldwide not-for-profit organization that encourages the exchange of information, ideas and research results from around the world.
“ The association seeks to bridge the gap between theory and practice, increasing public awareness of business problems and opportunities in the international marketplace,” said Erdener Kaynak, the organization’s executive vice president and professor of marketing at Pennsylvania State University. “The election of Dr. Richard Nelson points to the growing recognition by faculty in business schools that public relations, advertising and marketing communication are important components of modern day management.”
According to Nelson, “Management scholars, researchers, business practitioners and public-policy makers representing a wide variety of disciplines, sectors and industries from five continents are active in this organization. The IMDA serves to bring these key people together for positive activities and synergies.”
In addition to being the IMDA president-elect, Nelson also serves on the organization’s board, is congress co-chair/vice-president for programs, and cross-cultural marketing communications and public relations track co-chair.
Nelson is editor of the refereed Journal of Promotion Management, a publication of Haworth Press Inc., as well as a related promotion management book series established by the company. Recently, Nelson was also named editor of the new Journal of Website Promotion. In addition, he serves on the editorial boards of nine other refereed publications. He is recognized in LSU’s Experts Guide and Speakers Bureau, the Louisiana Public Policy Guide, the Heritage Foundation’s Annual Guide to Public Policy Experts and previously served on the Advisory Council of the Media Institute’s Center for Media Analysis, another Washington, D.C., think tank featuring nationally known professional and academic leaders.
Nelson’s research focuses on business public policy, strategic planning, management, ethics and political communications issues. He is the author of more than 75 articles, essays and reports on business and media industry topics ranging from the pubic opinion role played by paid persuaders, to the impact of new communications technologies, to state promotion of motion picture and television industrial development. He is co-author of Issues Management: Corporate Public Policymaking in an Information Society and has written several books.
For more information about IMDA, visit the organization’s Web site at www.imda.cc.