2020 Articles

When Sharita Gardner graduated from LU in 2012, she decided to make Beaumont home. She talks about the challenges getting connected in a small, tight-knit town and how she overcame to be one of Beaumont’s biggest advocates, well-known social citizens, not to mention using her LU degree to be gainfully employed doing something she loves.

Sierra Kondos, LU history major and owner of Book Heaven located in Lumberton, is hosting a booksale

The year 2020 is officially coming to a close and that means setting new goals for the new year. If you're looking for a little motivation, check out our list for the top 5 most inspirational TEDtalks for college students!

The holidays are full of so many great desserts. Whether you prefer peppermint, are fond of fudge or choose cake, there is a holiday dessert that can satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. Here is what some of your favorite holiday desserts say about you!

Don’t let the fear of holiday weight gain, stress you out! Use these healthy holiday eating tips to avoid the weight gain and eat, drink and be merry without overindulging.

One of the LU Moment’s first guest, two years ago, Hannah Rumsey, a 2020 LU grad, kicks off a new LU Moment series, “What can your LU degree do for you?” Ramsey talks about her years at LU, her research in Spain and her new job at ExxonMobil. She also passes on some wise words for current students.

It's a weekend of celebration here in Cardinal Nation! Join us virtually as we celebrate our class of 2020 graduates at our December Commencement Ceremony.

LU has much to be thankful for this holiday season. Juan Zabala, vice president for University Advancement and CEO of the Lamar University Foundation, shares what’s tops on the Big Red gratitude list.

This year, the Lamar University Office of Sustainability challenges you to wrap up your holiday the eco-friendly way!

Check out all of the fun happenings this weekend in Beaumont!

Commencement is just around the corner and it's the perfect time to break out your camera and capture the moment. Check out these quick photo hacks that are sure to make your grad photos stand out.

If you are looking for something fun to do, make the most of your extended weekend and consider these free events located around Beaumont!

This week on the LU Moment gamers take over. Dr. Timothy Roden, an associate professor of computer science, talks about LU’s new unique degree that teaches students how to program videos games, and Jason Chambliss, LU’s Esports president, shares details about gaming for sport and for dollars.

Whether it is the cooking or the eating, food is a huge part of every holiday. Gaining that “winter weight”, especially during the holidays, can be discouraging and make it difficult to enjoy time with family and friends. The good news is, making healthy changes and losing weight doesn't have to start after the New Year! Avoid that dreaded holiday weight gain by following these tips!

LU’s nurses beat the national average on the nursing exam. Find out how the JoAnne Gay Dishman School of Nursing has continued to excel during the days of COVID-19 when Shelly Vitanza visits with Chair of the Department of Nursing Dr. Cynthia Stinson on this week’s LU Moment.

If you are looking for fun and affordable ways to fill your Saturday, join in on some of the events being hosted around Beaumont this weekend!

Going on the prowl for the job that could kickstart your career is a historically stressful situation for many graduating students, but you can and will eventually find success with the right mindset and the right tools at your disposal.

If you're looking for an exciting way to explore the city of Beaumont, join in on the McFaddin-Ward House (MWH) community-wide scavenger hunt, Our House is Your House: Key Hunt, November 9-13!

Interested in starting a student organization? Here's a look back at how Alex Whitney, senior ASL major, started on-campus student organization, LGBTQ+ Students of Lamar in spring of 2019.

Welcome Center Director Tracie Craig explains how virtual recruitment, required due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is now an exciting new tool helping LU reach more students. Craig also explains changes in admissions, such as the normalization of GPAs and no-test requirements.

For the first time ever, one of LU’s Moot Court Team advanced to the championship round in a Moot Court tournament against 40 other collegiate teams. Shelly Vitanza visits with these history makers – Katey McCall and Ali Hamza - who were also ranked top advocates at the tournament.

Shelly Vitanza interviews Dr. Praphul Joshi, a public health expert and associate professor who teaches current health issues and social epidemiology. Joshi gives his analysis of the pandemic based on numbers and how he and students are working to create greater prevention awareness and help provide contact tracing.

We have all experienced physical and mental exhaustion due to the high demands of being a college student and all the extra responsibilities that come with being adults. One way to improve your energy level is by eating better!

We all use technology and smartphones all the time, so college students, we may as well use them to our educational advantage. Here are ten apps to help you stay organized, Looking for the best apps for college students to boost productivity, organize busy schedules, practice mindfulness, learn new topics, or anything else? We’ve got just the mobile app you're looking for!

This week on Connecting with Cardinals, we sat down with Luis Arevalo, chemical engineering major, to chat about his favorite LU moments, the importance of Latinx/Hispanic heritage month and how he became a cofounder of the LU Hispanic Society.

Fall is upon us! The weather is starting to cool down, people are decorating for the fall season, grocery stores and even coffee shops are now selling fall treats. What does this mean? And what kinds of treats are these? That’s right, it’s pumpkin time!

We are all striving for academic excellence, but sometimes, it is easier said than done. Luckily, there are many ways to study to prepare for exams, finish assignments, and understand important material that you will use in your career!

Boost your immune system just in time for flu season by making these small changes to your daily lifestyle and diet.

Make your voice heard this election! The College of Education and Human Development hosted an on-campus voter registration drive to assist students, faculty and staff in getting registered on-site or completing their registration application to mail in.

If there is power in words, someone who enables another to speak, must be a superpower. Lamar University has such a superpower. Lekeitha Morris, associate professor in the Department of Speech and Health Sciences. Lekeitha empowers individuals with communication disorders to communicate and best of all, she shares her superpower with her students.

As the first director of Lamar University's Center for Midstream Management & Science, Thomas Kalb shares his knowledge and experience in the energy industry with LU students.

As Lamar University's Director for the Center for Teaching and Learning Enhancement, Amy Smith leads the way in creating innovative online courses while students learn at home during the pandemic.

In 2001, Kaye Shelton was one of 33 people in the United States to get her master’s degree in online learning, completely online. The accomplishment, achieved on a laptop from the bleachers of her three sons’ baseball games and between loads of laundry, making dinner for her family and consulting in the technology industry, ignited Kaye’s passion for online learning and teaching and positioned her to be a pioneer in the online educational space. Kaye then went on to pursue her Ph.D. From the comfort of her home, and as her husband drove her to see her sons play baseball all over the country (One son played for the Los Angeles Dodgers.)

For Melissa Baldo, the greatest challenge of teaching online during the pandemic has been missing face-to-face interactions with her students.

Each year Ryan Lee awards millions of dollars to Lamar University students. Well, not personally and not without help from his colleagues, but as LU’s assistant director of operations in LU’s Financial Aid Department, Ryan certainly plays a critical role ensuring students get the funding they need for their educational pursuits. A native of Illinois, Lee finished his bachelor’s degree in economics eight years ago and entered the career field of financial aid where he enjoys the technical side of job.

As the client computing lab specialist in Lamar University’s Office of Information Technology, Holden Gray helped faculty and staff transition to online learning and working from home during the coronavirus pandemic.

Yatara Martin finds fulfillment providing security for the students, faculty and staff of Lamar University.

When Aaron Capps learned to sign the alphabet as a child, he found his life’s passion and a career. Now he’s one of just a few on the LU campus who can communicate in American Sign Language “stratified squamous epithelium.”

One of LU’s newer hires is a super soccer sensation home after a stint in Sweden, but she’ll never tell you that. Neither will Tara Austin share that she recently qualified for the Boston Marathon or that she raised $5,000 for local organizations impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the accomplished athlete does get animated when talking about LU athletics, her role as an academic specialist for the Lamar Cardinals and what she looks forward to when the pandemic is over. Tara, a Beaumont native, graduated from Kelly Catholic High School where she was an award-winning soccer player. She attended Belmont University in Nashville, playing soccer for the Bruins.

As the assistant director of scheduling, operations, & event services of the Setzer Student Center, Paula McNeel is a truly essential worker of Lamar University.

Since he was five years old, Kevin McGee has had a passion for making videos. Now, storytelling is part of his career as the video coordinator for Lamar University.

As the face of the LU Undergraduate Advising Center, Missy Barnes is passionate about helping students grow and succeed at Lamar University.

As the HVAC Supervisor, Troy Parker has been keeping Cardinals cool for nearly 14 years. He and his team have been working to complete maintenance work on campus during the pandemic as essential employees.

Relieve some stress with these fun coloring pages of our favorite cardinals, Big Red and Lu!

Yinka Jenmy brings students together in and out of the Lamar University residence halls, leading student disaster response teams in hurricanes and in the coronavirus pandemic.

Lamar University Associate Buyer Marc Paine shares his experience with maintaining essential orders during the coronavirus pandemic.

Robin Woodard brings peace and passion to her work as a beloved custodian while pursuing her degree at Lamar University.

A few coloring pages of our favorite birds Big Red and Lu for your kids or even yourself!

Shelly Vitanza discusses tinnitus research at LU with Dr. Vinayah Manchaiah and Le Grand Bal with chair Kara Hawthorn.

After a successful career in law and teaching at Lamar University for more than 35 years, College of Business professor Marleen Swerdlow found fulfillment in supporting her students through scholarship funds and mentorship.

Shelly Vitanza and John Dickerson of 60 Minutes discuss the Dickersonian style ahead of Dickerson's Judge Joe J. Fisher Distinguished Lecture, then Dr. Eric Shannon shares details about the upcoming Collage Music Fundraiser Event.

LU's Computer Science Career Forum gave students the chance to learn about future career options and company representatives the opportunity to identify talented, motivated and skilled potential employees from Lamar University.

Lamar University’s Student Health Center celebrated receiving a state accreditation.

Chelsea Boling shares how Lamar helped guide her and her journey to where she is now.

A group of students gathered for an open discussion with ExxonMobil on Feb. 13 in the Science and Technology Building.

Two Lamar University Moot Court teams participated in the University of Louisiana-Lafayette Invitational Moot Court Tournament.

Reaud Honors College Students continue the legacy of volunteering by spending the weekend at the Southeast Texas Food Bank.

Lamar University alumnus Carlos Caballero credits his successful engineering career to the scholarships he received at LU, including the McNair Scholars Program and the Alicia Christine Bonura memorial Regents Scholarship in Engineering.

LU Reaud Honors College students volunteered for the Jason Project before the spring semester started.

The New Student and Leadership Programs at Lamar University hosted, “Meet the Greeks: Game Night Style.”

Students transferring to LU traded swag and benefited dogs.

Lamar University Alum donates 96 oil maps to Special Collections.

A family video made more than 25 years ago landed Lamar University alumni TyRe Alexander a spot on the Today Show.

Jeff Forret, Lamar University history professor and Distinguished Faculty Research Fellow, is making headlines regarding his new book, “Williams’ Gang: A Notorious Slave Trader and His Cargo of Black Convicts.”

Congratulations to Tyler Nelson, a biology student, who was selected to present at Gulf Coast Undergraduate Tyler Nelson Research Symposium at Rice University.

Twelve awards were distributed at Lamar University’s Seventh Annual Texas STEM conference, held on Nov. 2, 2019.

Students at some Beaumont ISD elementary schools are learning to speak in green.

Nicole Kyles-Burton missed LU graduation for her M.B.A. degree choosing to ride a camel in Doha, Qatar instead.

ExxonMobil presented Lamar University’s Community Relations Program with a check for $25,000 for the establishment of a Navigating Excellence Success Triumph (N.E.S.T.) at Amelia Elementary School.