News Archive 2017

As part of its mission to educate and entertain the community of Southeast Texas, 91.3 KVLU public radio has a long tradition of hosting travel trips and will host a trip to Ireland in 2018.

Titus, assistant professor of teacher education in the College of Education and Human Development, will be honored as Lamar University’s 2017 Julie and Ben Rogers Community Service Award recipient at a 3 p.m. ceremony on December 14.

After a thorough national search, President Kenneth Evans has named Lynn Maurer as dean of Lamar University’s College of Arts and Sciences. Maurer, who has more than 22 years of teaching, research and service, will assume the position on July 1, 2018 pending TSUS Regents' approval.

The Lamar University Office of Undergraduate Research recently presented awards to graduate and undergraduate students for work presented at the 5th Annual Texas STEM Conference, and the 4th Annual Humanities, Arts, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Education and Business (HASBSEB) Conference.

Winter Commencement ceremonies will be held December 15-16 at Lamar University as some 1,470 students are expected to receive bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in commencement programs held in the Montagne Center by each of the university’s five colleges.

Phi Kappa Phi recently honored Lamar University Reaud Honors College Dean Kevin Dodson when it endowed a new scholarship in recognition of his service to the university.

The Society of Physics Students (SPS) at Lamar University was recently tapped an Outstanding SPS Chapter for 2016-2017, officials announced, in recognition of its activities in research, outreach and service.

Lamar University senior M.J. Eckart was named the Southland Conference Women's Soccer Student-Athlete of the Year, and the Cardinals placed four student-athletes on the conference's all-academic team that was announced Monday by the SLC office.

Lamar University students had the opportunity to relax during finals week with therapy dogs provided by Paws 4 Love Southeast Texas Pet Therapy.

The Lamar University Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry has been awarded the departmental research grant by the Welch Foundation. The $120,000 grant will be given to LU over the next three years.

Lamar University’s Division of Global Diversity, Inclusion and Intercultural Affairs will help the campus and community commemorate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with three events January 18-20, 2018.

A student team represented Lamar University recently placed in the Top 20 at the Association on Computing Machinery (ACM) South Central Regional Programming Contest at Louisiana State University. It was LU’s second consecutive year to crack the Top 20 list.

LU’s Center for History and Culture presents “Singing the Dream: Cajun and Prison Music of Southeast Texas and Louisiana” with Kevin Fontenot and Caroline Gnagy. The lecture will take place on November 16 at 5 p.m. in the Reaud Event Center, Reaud Administration Building. A book signing and reception will follow. The event is free and open to the public.

Lamar University’s second band concert of the 2017-18 school year, featuring the Wind Ensemble and Concert Band, is set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, November 16, in the University Theatre on the Lamar University campus.

The Lamar University College of Education and Human Development will celebrate American Education Week, Monday, November 13, with an event recognizing Southeast Texas educators and invites area teachers and administrators to a reception.

Lamar University’s Center for Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship will host the 2017 Innovation Boot Camp II for regional innovators, entrepreneurs, faculty and students December 1-2.

Forty-four Lamar University students and their faculty mentors were recognized today (November 6) at an award ceremony hosted by the Lamar University Office of Undergraduate Research.

Two Lamar University student teams participated in the Texas A&M Law School Regional Moot Court Tournament November 4-5, taking three Top Speaker awards and advancing to the Quarterfinals. The tournament marked the first time Lamar University has participated in a regional, national-qualifying moot court tournament.

Wayne Reaud was tapped the 16th Southeast Texas Legend Scholarship honoree at a news conference held November 9 in the lobby of the Wayne A Reaud Administration Building. The Beaumont Foundation began Southeast Texas Legends Scholarships at Lamar University in 2007 to honor those who blazed a trail across Southeast Texas by providing endowed scholarships for bright youth who need financial help to achieve their potential.

The Lamar University Cardinal Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of Rick Condit, will present its annual holiday concert on Tuesday, November 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the Rothwell Recital Hall on the Lamar University campus. The concert is free and open to the public.

Lamar University staff members were recognized recently for excellent service and years of service at a reception in the Mary and John Gray Library.

Did you know that the first mention of Santa’s Reindeer was in 1823 in a poem entitled Old Santeclaus with Much Delight? So, in 1901, that first Christmas after the Lucas Gusher, the children would have been watching for Santa’s reindeer.

Lamar University and the University of Texas are partners in a $4 million grant from the Department of Energy to explore new technologies for offshore geologic CO2 storage. LU will receive approximately $150,000 in funding for its portion of the project spread across the colleges of engineering and business.

Warren senior Destiny Allain has received the Trjitzinsky Award from the American Mathematical Society in the amount of $3,000. Allain is one of seven recipients in the country to receive this scholarship.

The Texas State University System Board of Regents today re-elected Rossanna Salazar of Austin chairman of the board and William F. Scott of Nederland vice chairman. Ms. Salazar and Mr. Scott were re-elected during the board's quarterly meeting on the campus of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville.

3D printing preps LU sculpture students for opportunities: “We’re doing great things using this new technology in creating sculpture,” said Lamar University’s Kurt Dyrhaug, professor of studio art and sculpture whose genre ranges from industrial-scale installations of wood and iron to diminutive designs that blend the latest technology, traditional and trend-setting techniques.

With the appointment this week of Cardinal sports legend Norman Bellard ’79 as interim athletic director, Lamar University is prepared to build on recent successes and strive for new achievements in athletics.

Lamar University senior Ryan Nunez of Port Arthur has been named a Global Grant Scholar by Rotary International District 5910 and will use the scholarship for graduate study in the Netherlands next year.

Lamar University has selected two students as 2017 David J. Beck Fellows as well as three finalists as 2018 Presidential Summer Fellows, all announced at a reception in the University Event Center, Monday, November 20.

On November 20, the Lamar University Office of University and Inclusion hosted Delwin Fiddler, Jr. in recognition of Native American Heritage Month. This was the inaugural celebration of Native American Heritage Month at the university

Alisa Fryar, associate professor of political science at the University of Oklahoma, was the keynote speaker at the fourth annual Undergraduate Research Conference on Humanities, Arts, Social and Behavioral Sciences and Business and Education, November 18 at the Reaud Honors College, and involved about 38 students engaged in research and scholarly work.

Have you wanted to start a new hobby? Are you tired of doing the same old thing on Saturday? Returning to Gladys City again is our popular Basic Photography class!

The Lamar University Study Abroad Fair, October 11, will showcase dozens of opportunities for students to gain benefits of traveling and study abroad. Held under a tent on the Brooks-Shivers Dining Hall Lawn from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Fair will present all of LU's study abroad programs, including new opportunities to study in Japan, South Africa, and Quebec, Canada.

The Lamar University Department of Theatre and Dance presents “Mauritius” by acclaimed playwright Theresa Rebeck, directed by guest director Carolyn Johnson, October 5, 6, and 7 at 7:30 p.m. and October 8 at 2 p.m. in the Studio Theatre.

Lamar University’s Wind Ensemble and Concert Band will present the year’s first concert on Friday, October 5 in the University Theatre. The event is free and open to the public.

Lamar University is expected to experience only a slight drop of around 3 percent in enrollment for Fall 2017 due to the effects of Hurricane Harvey on the region, officials said. Using the most comparable data, due to the delayed start date, LU’s enrollment is down about 3.2 percent with 14,516 students enrolled compared to 15,001 in fall 2016

Activist, professor and writer Tony Diaz presented the National Hispanic Heritage Month lecture “From Ban to Boom: The State of Ethnic Studies in Our State,” at the Center for for Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship.

Lamar University recently received confirmation from the U.S. Department of Education that funding for its McNair Scholars Program has been renewed for five years.

Many people do not know that Pattillo Higgins’ 1930 Model A Ford is stored at Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum. Higgins bought the car for $745 brand new and took it around Texas to find oil sites. His car will be joined by other classic and antique cars on November 4 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Lamar University Foundation has announced a newly endowed scholarship, the Jean R. Bost Scholarship in Biology to support students pursuing a career in teaching biology.

Cagatay Tokgoz, assistant professor in the Phillip M. Drayer Department of Electrical Engineering at Lamar University, was awarded a Faculty Fellowship from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Sensors Directorate.

Lamar University’s Mary Morgan Moore Department of Music recently accepted a donation of educational materials from President Emeritus James M. Simmons. The large number of books and other materials, collected over a career in higher education, were distributed in the department for educational purposes and referencing.

The Lamar University Department of Communication, Reaud Honors College, along with Lamar's Beta Xi Chapter of Phi Beta Delta and the Office of Undergraduate Research, are co-sponsoring a three-day interdisciplinary seminar on Politics, Media, and Storytelling, October 19-21.

The Lamar University Foundation has announced a new endowed scholarship for the College of Engineering. The Victor L. Lovelady Memorial Scholarship in Engineering will provide assistance to engineering students.

The Lamar University Foundation recently announced a new endowed scholarship for the College of Engineering. The Noah Rodriguez Memorial Scholarship will provide funding for incoming freshmen in the college.

A board of community experts spread awareness of relationship abuse at the Domestic Violence Panel Discussion in Lamar University’s Landes Auditorium, Oct. 23.

Five students in the Reaud Honors College of Lamar University traveled to four National Parks over the summer as participants in the Partners in the Parks program, an experiential learning program affiliated with the National Collegiate Honors Council and the National Park Service.

Two moot court teams from Lamar University competed October 20 and 21 at University of Texas-Arlington Moot Court Tournament and received several individual and team awards.

Lamar University’s Special Collections is exhibiting a new display, “America Goes to War: Sheet Music Cover Art of the First World War,” from Wednesday, November 1 through Monday, January 15, 2018 on the first floor of the Mary and John Gray Library.

The Lamar University Foundation has announced an endowed scholarship. The Juanita and Clevan Myers, Sr. and Friends Scholarship will provide assistance to full-time, undergraduate students.

The Lamar University Foundation recently established the Shanna B. and Robert L. Alspaugh Regents Scholarship for Pre-Veterinary Studies thanks to a gift from Bob Alspaugh of Orange in memory of his late wife Shanna.

Lamar University will celebrate International Education Week though a variety of multicultural activities promoting this year’s theme, “Connecting Texas to the Americas and Beyond,” November 13-17. All events are free and open to the public.

Lamar University students who where sheltered from the storm in its Cardinal Village residence halls were presented with three options in an assembly today, the result of the loss of water service in the city of Beaumont caused by flooding from Tropical Storm Harvey. Without water services, LU can’t continue to provide support for the 1,200 of students currently living on campus, officials said, and is offering opportunities for students who can to relocate and continue studies online.

Lamar University’s Fall 2017 semester, which was to have begun last week, will begin Tuesday, Sept. 5, using a hybrid face-to-face and online model, administrators announced.

The Texas higher education community have launched a unified giving initiative to provide emergency aid to college students impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Harvey HELP will enable individuals, institutions, foundations, and corporations to contribute funds for emergency aid for Texas college students as they recover from the storm and return to the classroom.

Lamar University recently established a new fund to support students affected by the devastation of Hurricane Harvey throughout Southeast Texas.

Autism College Connect is a new group dedicated to providing support and building relationships that help LU students with autism overcome obstacles in college life.

The Lamar University Academic Lecture Series presents a distinguished lecture featuring model, actor and deaf activist Nyle DiMarco, winner of Dancing with the Stars and America’s Next Top Model, on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017, at 7 p.m. in the University Theatre. The free event is hosted by the College of Fine Arts and Communication.

According to The Student Loan Report, Lamar University ranks 21st nationally among its list of top public colleges for Federal Work-Study Financial Aid.

The National Science Foundation has awarded Lamar University a $395,805 grant under the provisions of its Major Research Instrumentation Program for the acquisition of a nanoindentor, a high tech instrument not currently available in the region.

Southeast Texas’ public radio station 91.3 KVLU lost its broadcast signal when Hurricane Harvey’s catastrophic rainfall pummeled Orange County August 30 and the station’s transmitter site in Rose City lost power. KVLU’s leadership is working with Lamar University administrators and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to develop a plan for the restoration of its signal.

Lamar University has selected Sara Hillin, associate professor of English, as the 2017 Distinguished Faculty Lecturer. The free, public lecture will be hosted October 3 by the Lamar University Faculty Senate and will be sponsored by ExxonMobil. The 6 p.m. lecture in the Lamar University Theatre is free and open to the public.

Lamar University has been awarded a $1.8 million four-year grant through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Bureau of Health Workforce Education and Training to implement an interdisciplinary model for behavioral health prevention and intervention in local area schools and agencies.

The Lamar University Cardinal Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of Rick Condit, will present its first concert of the 2017-18 school year Thursday, October 12 at 7 p.m. in the Historic Jefferson Theater in downtown Beaumont. The concert, dubbed “Jazz at the Jefferson,” will feature special guest artist Tamir Hendelman.

Lamar University’s first band concert of the 2017-18 school year, featuring the Wind Ensemble and Concert Band, is set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, October 5, in the University Theatre on the Lamar University campus.

The Texas Academy of Leadership in the Humanities (TALH) at Lamar University will host an Open House Saturday, October 14, in the Mary and John Gray Library. The Academy is an early entrance college residential honors program at Lamar University.

Lamar University continues to be a leader in online education, a fact recognized not only by the success of thousands of graduates of its many online degree programs but also in rankings and reviews by several online organizations.

Lamar University will enhance its ability to conduct leading-edge research and educational activities through a hybrid CPU/GPU high-performance computing cluster thanks to a $516,000 National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation grant.

The Lamar University Department of Theatre and Dance presents “Mauritius” by acclaimed playwright Theresa Rebeck, directed by guest director Carolyn Johnson, October 5, 6, and 7 at 7:30 p.m. and October 8 at 2 p.m. in the Studio Theatre.

CommunityBank of Texas is supporting students at Lamar University with an annually funded scholarship that helps them overcome financial barriers that would hinder them from receiving a college education.

In response to the needs of students affected by the devastation of Hurricane Harvey throughout Southeast Texas, the university established the Cardinal Emergency Fund to help students with the greatest needs.

Underrepresented students at the university level experience greater inclusion and higher graduation rates thanks to recreational sports, according to Art Simpson, LU’s director of recreational sports.

Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum is excited to announce its next Leather Working Class scheduled for September 23 at 10 a.m. Students will get to make a phone case while learning how to cut, tool and dye leather. They will add their own creative design.

Texas-native artist James Surls has been commissioned to create Lamar University’s newest art addition to bring inspiration and beauty to the campus.

Lamar University’s Research Experience for Teachers (RET) Site program, funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant and led by industrial engineering professor Weihang Zhu, has completed its first of three summer programs, which brought together 12 local high school STEM teachers June 5 to July 14 to research in advanced design and manufacturing.

An “ambassador for mankind,” Lamar University’s Freddie Titus took a different path when he discovered the joy of serving others over self. He has brought that approach to his teaching and service beyond the campus. Titus, assistant professor of teacher education in the College of Education and Human Development, will be honored as Lamar University’s 2017 Julie & Ben Rogers Community Service Award recipient.

On Sept. 30, 2017, Lamar University will host a 50th anniversary reunion to commemorate the last five decades of memories for that graduating class.

LU civil engineering professors will soon begin the second phase of a wake wash study in local waterways after receiving $99,000 in additional funding from the Sabine Neches Navigation District.

Kay-Alana Turner, double major in management and Spanish, studied at the ESC Rennes School of Business in France during spring 2017. ESC Rennes is a semester-long exchange program offered through the Lamar University College of Business.

Lamar University was fourth on the national list for economic mobility among online programs in a study of 2,273 colleges. LU was one of only 25 to rank on both the comprehensive list as well as the list of 2017 Most Affordable Online Colleges for Student Economic Mobility.

Lamar University was recognized at the 2017 College Sports Media Awards for Outstanding Live Game Production thanks to its athletics video offices and their live coverage of men’s basketball.

Lamar University opened with fanfare as faculty and staff gathered on Tuesday, August 22, to hear the annual “state-of-the-university” address from President Kenneth Evans signaling the start of the 2017-2018 academic year.

Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum will open its doors free of charge on Saturday September 23, 2017, as part of Smithsonian magazine’s 13th annual Museum Day Live!, an initiative in which participating museums across the United States emulate the spirit of the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington DC-based facilities, which offer free admission every day, and open their doors for free to those who download a Museum Day Live! ticket.

AtmoSpark, the brainchild of Tejus Mane, a master’s student in chemical engineering at Lamar University, came away with the top prize in the 2017 Texas Student Challenge in the business plan competition at the Texas Rural Challenge in Waco on June 29.

LU's Spindletop Gladys City Boomtown Museum will celebrate the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Gladys City Oil, Gas, and Manufacturing Co. with a special event August 26.

Fifty area middle school students are expected to participate in the Lamar Introduction to Engineering (L.I.T.E.) summer program, hosted by Lamar University’s College of Engineering July 17-21, 2017. The free one-week non-residential camp serves incoming seventh and eighth-grade students who excel in mathematics and science.

Natalie Sfeir, a junior speech-language pathology major from Beaumont, will host a Community Resource Day for individuals living with dementia and their loved ones at the Lamar University Speech and Hearing Building July 13 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Vinaya Manchaiah, associate professor and director of audiology at LU, has initiated a global audiology project to improve accessibility and affordability of hearing healthcare services for people in need.

Lamar University’s Department of Industrial Engineering and Department Chair Brian Craig were recently recognized on a website focusing exclusively on online engineering education programs.

Lamar University’s Department of Earth and Space Sciences is hosting its 22nd annual Teaching Environmental Science summer institute July 10-21. The program introduces southeast Texas educators, education students and EC-12 teachers to local environmental issues through hands-on learning.

The Lamar University Alumni Advisory Board has elected Tony Landry ’94 of Nederland to serve as 2017-2018 president. Judge Ransom Jones ’88 of Beaumont will serve as past president and Chris Bates ’08 of Port Arthur will serve as president-elect.

Renata Alitto, a visiting doctoral student of biology from Brazil’s Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), will spend six months conducting research at Lamar University as part of her Ph.D. defense in Brazil.

Yisha Xiang, assistant professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering at Lamar University will receive a $279,025 National Science Foundation grant for collaborative research she will conduct with University of Houston Associate Professor and Sunita Agrawai Faculty Fellow Qianmei Feng.

Suzanne Wheeler of Port Neches, a senior physics major and McNair scholar at Lamar University, traveled with her McNair research advisor, James Drachenberg, assistant professor of physics, to Brookhaven National Laboratory in Long Island, New York, for the STAR Collaboration Meeting.

The Press Club of Southeast Texas announced the winners in the 2017 Excellence in the Media contest during its annual fund-raising banquet June 2. Lamar University students, faculty and staff were recognized alongside the working media, communications and public relations professionals of the region for work created during 2016 in a number of categories.

Lamar University’s Fredrick (Fred) Ryans captivated the attention of two local business leaders with his heart-warming speech at the annual scholarship dinner in April 2017. A few days later, they would present Ryans with a life-changing gift.

Lamar University’s Master’s in Public Health program has been ranked No. 3 in the U.S. in a review of schools across the nation by AffordableColleges.com

Jeff Spoeri joins the staff of Lamar University as associate vice president for university advancement, bringing nearly 21 years of development and fund-raising experience to the position beginning June 30.

Undergraduate and graduate students of speech and hearing sciences at Lamar University earned course credit abroad this summer as they learned new, person-centered approaches to engaging individuals with dementia in Liverpool, England, and Dublin, Ireland.

Eric Spaulding of Lamar University was selected to receive the Texas Business Hall of Fame Ben J. Rogers scholarship, an exclusive award granted to a small group from among applicants statewide.

Lamar University Press students and communications staff took home a number of honors in the 2017 Houston Press Club Star Awards program, held June 10 in Rice University’s Grand Hall. The awards represented work done in 2016.

Thirteen Lamar University students in the College of Engineering traveled to Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) in Tarragona, Spain recently to study contemporary global issues in engineering management under the leadership of University Professor Jerry Lin.

Ten nations were represented at the 2nd International Workshop on Offshore Geologic CO2 Storage held June 19-20 at Lamar University’s Center for Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship.

Lamar University’s M.Ed. Educational Administration program was recently ranked by AffordableColleges.com in a review of schools across the nation for quality and affordability.

Lamar University students kicked off their summer exploring world-renowned art and architecture in Saint Petersburg, Russia while earning course credit for ARTS 1301, a core curriculum requirement.

The Lamar University Academic Lecture Series presents a distinguished lecture featuring model, actor and deaf activist Nyle DiMarco, winner of Dancing with the Stars and America’s Next Top Model, on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017, at 7 p.m. in the University Theatre. The free event is hosted by the College of Fine Arts and Communication.

Lamar University faculty researchers in Industrial Engineering have joined with the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) in creating the Mariner Safety Research Initiative (MSRI) to support maritime safety internationally.

Lamar University has selected Sara Hillin, associate professor of English, as the 2017 Distinguished Faculty Lecturer. The free, public lecture will be hosted this fall by the Lamar University Faculty Senate and will be sponsored by ExxonMobil.

Zakary Noel, a junior physics major from Baytown, was selected as one of 12 recipients from a nation-wide pool of applicants for the 2017 internship with the Society of Physics Students (SPS) and the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) this summer.

The Lamar University College of Engineering will host the 2nd annual Senior Design Symposium Thursday 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the University Event Center, 8th floor Mary and John Gray Library, capping off the school year with more than 40 projects engineering students have months preparing. The event is free and open to the public.

Vinaya Manchaiah, director of audiology at Lamar University, was recently honored by the NRI Institute at the Leela Palace, Chanakyapuri, New-Delhi, India, for his work in the field of education.

Lamar University administrators, Texas State University System representatives, retired and current staff and faculty members and alumni gathered today (May 2, 2017) to break ground for the construction of a new 83,000-square-foot Science and Technology Building.

Commencement speakers representing diverse fields have been chosen to address students at Lamar University’s Spring 2017 commencement ceremonies held May 12 and 13 in the Montagne Center.

Enrique (Henry) R. Venta, dean of Lamar University’s College of Business since 2002, was recently honored as “Dean of the Year” by Beta Gamma Sigma, the international honor society serving business programs accredited by AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. He is honored as the 2017 recipient among the 576 BGS chapters worldwide.

Jennifer Daniel, associate professor of mathematics at Lamar University, has been selected to receive a 2017 Faculty Mentoring Award by the Council of Undergraduate Research (CUR) to honor her success in directing students in undergraduate research.

Lamar University students stopped by the Mary and John Gray Library from April 30 to May 4 to relax with therapy dogs during finals and week recharge before their exams.

Lamar University will offer two full scholarships, including four years of tuition, fees, room, board and a book stipend to two deserving graduating high school seniors who reside in the South Park neighborhood of Beaumont, officials announced recently.

Lamar University invites students of all ages to a variety of summer camps to be held on campus this summer. Camps are offered for a variety of ages and interests with both daily and residential opportunities.

Lamar University Veterans Affairs and the Disability Resource Center, recently hosted the second Veterans Appreciation BBQ to show appreciation for veterans, and raised funds that have been contributed to Heroes on the Water, a charity organization that works with disabled veterans.

Lamar University’s Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) has named Ashwini S. Kucknoor, associate professor of biology, its 2017 Faculty Mentor Award recipient.

Lamar University has selected 20 students to serve as Lamar Ambassadors. They will join 32 returning ambassadors in representing the student body at official university events during the 2017-2018 academic year.

Times Higher Education and World University Rankings have identified Lamar University as one of 20 universities worldwide and one of just nine nationally that could “challenge the elite universities” and become globally renowned by 2030.

Lamar University recently received designation as a Non-Land Grant College of Agriculture by the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

AtmoSpark, the brainchild of Tejus Mane, a master’s student in chemical engineering at Lamar University, is the winner of the university’s Big Idea Challenge. Opportunities are on tap for the team that will participate in Rice University’s OwlSpark program and is a finalist in the Texas Rural Challenge.

Matthew Hoch, associate professor of biology at Lamar University, and Hostin May, senior biology and business major of Bridge City, collaborated with faculty and students from the University of Belize in Belmopan on research pertaining to coral reef microbiology recently.

Lamar University was recently ranked 11th out of 50 in Top Criminal Justice Schools’ list of the best online Master’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in the nation.

Lamar University will celebrate its history with a talk and exhibit of photography documenting the area’s progress throughout the years at 2 p.m. on May 30 on the sixth floor of the Mary and John Gray Library.

A total of 1,085 Lamar University students earned places on the Deans’ List for the spring 2017 semester, deans of Lamar’s five academic colleges announced.

A total of 500 Lamar University students earned places on the President’s List for the 2017 spring semester, President Kenneth Evans announced.

Lamar University’s Xing Wu, assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, along with Hao Yang, adjunct assistant professor, and a group of graduate students, recently received honors from the Texas Department of Transportation and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials for their research.

The Lamar University Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences presents Balaji Rangarathnam in the Gruber Seminar Series. The event will take place April 13 from 2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. in room 170 of the Speech and Hearing Sciences Building.

The Lamar University Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences presents Sumitrajit (Sumit) Dhar in the Gruber Seminar Series. The series will take place May 1 from 12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. in room GL-600 on the 6th floor of the Mary and John Gray Library.

Lamar University has been identified as having one the top low-cost online Master’s degree programs in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in the most recent national rankings by BestCounselingDegrees.net and AffordableColleges.com.

Lamar University’s Mary and John Gray Library will honor more than 40 faculty authors, co-authors, chapter authors and their families for books published from 2014 to 2016, on Monday, April 10, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lamar University Event Center, on the 8th floor of the library.

Defying stereotypes is routine for Rebekah Gonzales, a Beaumont native and junior majoring in theatre and dance at LU, where in just a few semesters, she has achieved more than she imagined possible.

Jerry Bradley, professor of English at Lamar University, and English graduate student Salena Parker took home awards at the 84th Conference of College Teachers of English and the Texas College English Association recently at Tarrant County Community College Northeast.

Lamar University celebrated the opening of its state-of-the-art home for the Center for Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship (CICE) today before a crowd of state, business, community, and educational leaders, in the new 21,000 square-foot innovation center.

Lamar University’s opportunity to learn about, practice and celebrate sustainability is right around the corner. LU’s second annual Earth Week, put together by the Department of Sustainability, begins Monday, April 17 and continues through Friday, April 28.

LU’s Reaud Honors College showcased its new, state-of-the-art facilities in the Wayne A. Reaud Building as well as several popular Southeast Texas destinations to more than 400 attendees during the Great Plains Honors Councils (GPHC) Conference March 31-April 2.

The nursing programs at Lamar University have been recognized for excellence by the Community for Accredited Online Schools (AccreditedSchoolsOnline.org). A leading resource for both campus and online learning information, the site released its 2017 rankings of the Top 50 nursing degree programs, with Lamar University earning recognition.

Lamar University’s 2017 University Professor and Ann Die-Hasselmo Faculty Scholar is Jiangjiang (Jane) Liu. She, along with University Merit Awards recipients and retiring faculty, will be honored at the faculty awards ceremony April 12 at 1 p.m. in the University Event Center, 8th floor of the Mary and John Gray Library.

Steve Davis, author of “Dallas 1963,” “J. Frank Dobie: A Liberated Mind,” “Texas Literary Outlaws,” will give a presentation at 6:30 p.m. in the Reaud Executive Suite, first floor, Reaud Administration Building on the corner of Jim Gilligan Way and Rolfe Christopher Drive, April 19.

Lamar University will honor four faculty members with 2017 University Merit Awards in recognition of superior teaching, scholarship and service to the university. Merit Awards will be presented to Ali Beheshti, Perumalreddy Chandrasekaran, Mahdi Safa and Xing Wu at the faculty awards ceremony April 12 at 1 p.m. in the University Event Center, 8th floor of the Mary and John Gray Library.

Chris York, a sophomore double major in mathematics and computer science at Lamar University, has been selected as the fourth LU student to receive the distinguished Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship.

Theresa Hefner-Babb of Lamar University has been named 2017 recipient of the Outstanding Service in Library Instruction Award from the Texas Library Association Library Instruction Roundtable.

Lamar University will join in the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate its Board of Directors announced recently. LU and 21 other new graduate schools of education join more than 80 members of the consortium in the important work of redesigning professional practice preparation in education for the improvement of PK-20 education and the organizations that support it.

Lamar University voice students from the Mary Morgan Moore Department of Music earned numerous award placements at the annual Greater Houston Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing classical auditions on March 25, 2017, at the University of Houston.

Lamar University invites alumni and friends to participate in an 11-night cruise aboard the Azamara Quest exploring beaches, rainforests, and the Panama Canal January 4-15, 2018

Jerry Bradley, professor of English at Lamar University, has been selected for the prestigious Margie Boswell Poetry Award for his poem “Alive in Captivity after the Flood.” Bradley will be commemorated in ceremonies celebrating creative writing at Texas Christian University on April 18.

Lamar University has been ranked as a best value school for students pursuing engineering as a major by PayScale’s 2017 College ROI report.

Several Lamar University students are engaged in “real world” work at Lamar University’s Center for Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship (CICE) thanks to a partnership with world-renowned pop musician Sudha Kheterpal and her vision for a device to harness the sun’s energy while engaging the power of music and education.

Lamar University’s students will showcase their work at the 4th annual Undergraduate Research and Creativity Expo, Friday, April 21. The event, sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR), will include 120 presentations by 250 LU students mentored by 88 faculty members representing 28 academic departments.

Adrian, Andre and Anthony Woodard learned quickly that family is all you have. The Woodard brothers are original natives of Nashville, Tennessee, but in 2009 they established residency in Texas.

The Lamar University Dance Team will exhibit its skill and dedication at the 12th annual spring show, “TRUE COLORS,” at the Jefferson Theater, 345 Fannin St. in Beaumont on May 5 and 6 at 7 p.m.

Lamar University’s Fourth Annual Undergraduate Research Expo, held April 21, surpassed its expected growth with a major leap in attendance, number of presentations and student involvement from the 2016 event.

Mason England and Kyle Perry, both senior electrical engineering majors at Lamar University, have been awarded honors at the 2017 IEEE Region 5 Eastern Area Competition for student papers.

Lamar University has been selected as one of 10 sites nationally to host a 2017 ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp. The two-week residential all-expense-paid camps for aspiring innovators, scientists and engineers are held on college campuses across the country for middle-school students.

Lamar University art student Gonzalo Alvarez is gaining national attention for his video game art installation, “Borders,” currently on display at the SOL Gallery in the Department of Art.

Lamar University alumna Angela Blanchard, president and CEO of BakerRipley (formerly Neighborhood Centers Inc), visited campus to present her breakthrough strategies to revitalized neighborhoods in two public lectures and a luncheon for Women and Philanthropy March 2.

Lamar University awarded 1,496 degrees at its December 2016 commencement. The university conferred 31 doctoral degrees, 888 master’s degrees and 577 bachelor’s degrees during the commencement ceremonies.

Eight successful alumni returned to campus recently for Lamar University’s annual ‘A Dinner and Conversation,’ a night of networking and career exploration for students with successful alumni in their field of study. Professionals from business, healthcare, engineering, entrepreneurship, legal and theater each hosted a table at the event held in the University Event Center on the eighth floor of the Mary and John Gray Library.

A piece of history came home this week when Kit Herrington of Corsicana delivered an original map of Gladys City as envisioned by entrepreneur Pattillo Higgins to Lamar University, home of the Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum.

Ten Lamar University graduate students recently traveled to Silicon Valley as Gill Scholars to participate in Ignite!, a three-day, immersive entrepreneurial experience. LU graduate students joined others from Rice University, UC-Davis and Texas medical Center to visit start-ups, high-tech firms and venture capital firms and to learn from successful innovators who discussed their entrepreneurial journeys as guest speakers.

Lamar University’s Office of Alumni Affairs invites LU alumni to Jazz Night at Rao's Mid-County location at 3504 Highway 365 in Nederland, 6 p.m.- 8 p.m. Thursday, March 23. Seating is limited, and the registration fee is $7 per person. Advance registration is required by March 17 at 5 p.m. at lamar.edu/jazznight.

A Lamar University Literary Press author is among the honorees in Texas Institute of Letters annual awards for Texas’ literary works. “Resisting Gravity” by Stan Crawford was tapped an honoree for the Bob Bush Memorial Award for First Book of Poetry.

Lamar University will host a free community event for young students to get hands-on exposure to the world of engineering. Discover Engineering will be held at the Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum Saturday, April 8 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The Lamar University Office of Diversity and Inclusion will recognize Women’s History Month with the celebration of the second annual Women’s Symposium “Honoring Trailblazers and Mavericks" on Saturday March 25 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the McDonald Gym.

The Lamar University Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, will host Pierre Ratinaud from the University of Toulous in the Gruber Seminar Series, March 24, from 11 a.m. to noon in Room 170 in the Speech and Hearing Sciences Building.

Lamar University invites Southeast Texans to Le Grand Bal, a gala evening of art, fine dining, dancing and entertainment on Saturday, March 25, 2017.

Lamar University's Second Computer Science Career Forum, held recently, continued the series organized by the Center for Professional Development and the Department of Computer Science.

Lamar University’s announced the inaugural recipients of the College of Engineering Faculty Fellowship Program, awards made possible through the generosity of five alumni of the university, officials announced. Eleven faculty members where recognized and received funding and the title of faculty fellow in an afternoon program, Wednesday, March 22 in the Center for Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship.

The Lamar University Academic Lecture Series welcomes Charlotte Jones Anderson, Dallas Cowboys executive vice president and chief brand officer, to speak April 4 at 7 p.m. in the Price Auditorium, Herman Iles Building. The free event is hosted by the College of Business and open to the public.

Lamar University’s Reaud Honors College will host the annual Great Plains Honors Council (GPHC) conference March 31 to April 2 in the new Wayne A. Reaud Building. The college confirms 440 participants from 45 different educational institutions across six states will gather at the university.

Family owned and operated grocery store chain Market Basket added $10,000 to the Market Basket Charitable Foundation Scholarship at Lamar University, thanks to participation in the Market Basket golf tournament held at the Beaumont Country Club recently. Currently, the scholarship supports four students at LU.

The Texas Academy of Leadership in the Humanities (TALH) will host a Open House at the John Gray Center on Saturday, Feb. 18. The Academy is an early entrance college residential honors program at Lamar University.

As a senior sociology and French major and philosophy minor, Dillon Nicholson of Groves has always been intrigued by the development of thought and function of human society.

Natalie Sfeir, a sophomore speech/language pathology major from Beaumont, envisions a future where people with dementia are no longer ostracized for their disease.

The Center for History and Culture of Southeast Texas and the Upper Gulf Coast at Lamar University invites applications for two one-year fellowship positions. The positions are open to both Lamar University and non-Lamar candidates. The one-year fellowships will represent the highest honor of distinction and bring a $5,000 grant.

A film crew from Discovery Channel Canada visited campus recently to capture the progress made by researchers in the Phillip M. Drayer Department of Electrical Engineering on an innovative lionfish-hunting robot.

Lamar University was recently ranked in the Top 20 most affordable online nursing master’s degree programs by College Choice. Lamar University lands in the number two spot on the list on collegechoice.net.

Nine faculty members in the JoAnne Gay Dishman School of Nursing at Lamar University have been awarded the Texas Organization for Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Education (TOBGNE) Excellence in Research Award. This is the second year in a row that faculty from Lamar University have been so honored.

Lamar University set another all-time Spring headcount record, officials announced today. The university’s total headcount reached 14,103, up over the Spring 2016 headcount of 14,056.

Lamar University’s Center for Advances in Port Management will host Jorge Quijano, administrator of the Panama Canal Authority, who will speak on the “Development and Operation of the Newly Expanded Panama Canal and Vision for Its Future” at 2 p.m. Friday, February 24, in Room 113 of the Center for Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship.

Lamar University hosts Angela Blanchard, president and CEO of Neighborhood Centers, Inc., March 2 in a day that includes two free public lectures and a presentation at a Women and Philanthropy luncheon. Women and Philanthropy promotes philanthropic education, leadership and advocacy by empowering women to be active participants in the giving process.

The College of Business at Lamar University has maintained its business accreditation by AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degrees in business and accounting.

Four senior mechanical engineering students at Lamar University currently building a car for the Shell Eco-marathon took some time off last weekend to participate in the Shell Hack-a-Truck competition in Mountain View, California at the Google Garage bringing home two awards.

Seven-time Grammy nominated drummer and percussionist, Bobby Sanabria, will be the featured artist at the upcoming Lamar University Percussion and Jazz Weekend March 3 - 4, 2017.

Lamar University’s Office of Sustainability will observe Earth Week April 17-28, and is sponsoring a Student Sustainability Video Contest to help share the key concepts of sustainability.

Lamar University’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion and ExxonMobil’s Black Employee Success Team (BEST) presented an evening with Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stephens, Feb. 22, on “Embracing the Present to Ensure Our Future.” Stephens recently became Texas' first African American female sheriff when she was elected to the position in Jefferson County.

The Lamar University Community Outreach Program was recently awarded a grant from Entergy Texas to enhance its activities by increasing earned income tax credit (EITC) awareness and education and providing tax preparation services, financial education and economic development.Through Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (V.I.T.A.), the LU outreach program provides services for individuals and families, students, senior citizens, and the non-English speaking population at several Community Tax Centers.

A total of 1,224 Lamar University students earned places on the deans’ List for the fall 2016 semester, deans of Lamar’s five academic colleges announced. To qualify for the Deans’ List, a student must carry a full course load of 12 semester hours or more and have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher for that semester. Students with GPAs of 4.0 qualify for the President’s List and automatically earn places on the Deans’ List. Their names are not listed here.

A total of 760 Lamar University students earned places on the President’s List for the 2016 fall semester, President Kenneth Evans announced. Students who qualify for the President’s List carry a full course load of 12 semester hours or more with grade point averages of 4.0 for that semester. They automatically earn places on the Deans’ List.

Lamar University hosted the 2016 Association of Computing Educators in Texas (ACET) Conference. One of the leading computer science and IT pedagogical associations in the state, ACET’s annual conference focused on teaching the millennial generation.

Lamar University’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion will hold in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a candlelight service on Tuesday, January 17, a panel discussion on Thursday, January 19, and a day of service on Saturday, January 21. Each event is free and open to the public.

The 2017 Golden Triangle Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering (GT-TAME) Divisional STEM Competition will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017 at Lamar University.

Lamar University’s Center for History and Culture of Southeast Texas and the Upper Gulf Coast will celebrate the rich history, art, literature, music and cuisine of the region at its inaugural event January 30.

The most recent publication by Lamar University Distinguished Professor Emeritus Glenn Utter has been crafted to get its readers thinking critically about gun rights and gun control.

Lamar University’s Jane Liu has been selected as a 2017 Texas State University System (TSUS) Chancellor’s Faculty Fellow and will pursue a study of first-year programs at Lamar University that are focused on student success.

Lamar University’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion will commemorate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with an event titled “Unity and Peace Panel Discussion: Is the Dream Still Alive?” Thursday, January 19 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Landes Auditorium, Galloway Business Building.

Southeast Texas students in 4th through 8th grade have engaged in entertaining and educational activities to further expand their interest in mathematics, technology, science, and engineering thanks to the JASON Project. More than 7,400 area students joined in workshops taking place at Lamar University.

Ten students of LU’s Reaud Honors College are taking on the spring semester with a new perspective thanks to their studies on sustainability in Belize during the winter break.

The Lamar University Office of Alumni Affairs has named four alumni as Distinguished Alumni for 2017, noting that their dedication to their professions, service to their communities and loyalty to their alma mater epitomizes the Lamar University spirit, officials said.

Lamar University’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion commemorated the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a “Unity and Peace Panel Discussion: Is the Dream Still Alive?” January 19. Panelists discussed Dr. King’s life and service to society as they represented the past, present and future.

Lamar University’s students, faculty, staff and community members came together on Saturday, January 21 for a day of service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy. The volunteers dedicated their Saturday to serving others through the LU Community Garden, the South Park Community Garden, a Habitat for Humanity home construction site and the Southeast Texas Food Bank.

The Lamar University chapter of Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, will host Dr. Lee Dugatkin, professor and university scholar in the Department of Biology at the University of Louisville, to speak on "The Evolution of Goodness." An expert in animal behavior and evolution, he will speak in the Dishman Art Museum's auditorium 7:30 p.m., Thursday, February 9. The lecture is free and open to the public.

The Lamar University Cardinal Adventures Travel Program has announced an opportunity to explore The Italian Riviera and Chianti Region with like-minded alumni and friends of the University from September 24 – October 3 of this year.

The Mary Morgan Moore Department of Music at Lamar University will present a guest artist recital featuring Christopher Adkins, principal cellist of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, at 7:30 p.m, Friday, Jan. 27, in the Rothwell Recital Hall. The program includes TITLES? by Dmitri Shostakovich and Sergei Rachmaninoff, two of the great 20th-century Russian cello sonatas. Admission is free and open to the public.

Lamar University’s Center for History and Culture of Southeast Texas and the Upper Gulf Coast will celebrate the rich history, art, literature, music and cuisine of the region at its inaugural event January 30.

Bryan Proksch, associate professor of music at Lamar University, has edited a new book of writings by famed composer John Philip Sousa. Published through Gia Publications, the collection of newspaper articles, letters, and interviews by Sousa and his contemporaries give us a greater understanding of this iconic figure in American music.An American composer and conductor nicknamed “The March King,” Sousa (1854-1932) was known primarily for military and patriotic marches.

Lamar University’s Reaud Honors College is bringing honors program alumnus Bradley Weatherholt to campus for a screening of his new documentary on Star Wars: The Prequels Strike Back: A Fan's Journey.

Lamar University will host the Spring Study Abroad Fair February 2 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the dining hall lawn where all students are invited to learn about LU’s variety of study abroad opportunities.

Application packets for Lamar University Ambassadors will be available until March 2, 2017 in the Office of Alumni Affairs located in the John Gray Center, Rudy C. Williams Building, Suite 102 on the Lamar University campus.

LU Theatre presents two one-act plays from different periods of the career of Nobel prize-winning British dramatist Harold Pinter, Feb. 9-12, in the Studio Theatre.