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e-Newsletter for Alumni and Friends
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1-866-WARHAWK (927-4295)
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| May 2008 | ||
ON CAMPUS NEWS
ULM's outreach focuses on rural Louisiana schools
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The college is expanding the program, which currently has space for about 50 students and eight teachers. Every spring the university receives hundreds of applications — and there is too much demand for too few spaces in the program. "Many of the students are interested in science, but their only context is that they want to be a doctor," said Ann Findley, a biology professor and program director of the HHMI grant. "Here they get an idea of what it's like to do real science."
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One week there might be a "crime scene" to evaluate in the lab, which introduces students to DNA testing and forensic science. Another week students might take plant samples from farm fields and grocery stores and then analyze them in the lab to see if any of the plants have been genetically modified.
About 30 to 35 percent of the students in the program go on to become students at the university, Findley said. Not all become science majors, "but even the ones who go into business or liberal arts are informed by their science background," she said. "Their interests tend to be interdisciplinary."
Teachers who have been through this summer program can borrow lab kits that include equipment and supplies that allow teachers to recreate the program's experiments in their classrooms. "By going out into the schools through these alumni teachers, we can reach many more students" than possible with the summer program, Findley said.
Faculty members also visit local schools to do large-scale, day-long demonstrations, such as isolating DNA. "Students come in, and then leave with a little tube of their DNA," Findley said. "They love that. It's very important for students, whether they study science or even go to a university, to at least get a context in which to put their science instruction."
The university is also using part of its grant to start a mentoring program with Monroe's Ouachita Parish School System. Science faculty members and graduate and undergraduate students will participate in tutoring programs for middle school and high school students. Faculty members also will serve as mentors for high school teachers with advanced placement science courses.
For more information about this program, contact Findley at afindley@ulm.edu or (318) 342-1817.
New ULM School of Nursing Clinical Simulation Center provides crucial experience to nursing students
Hands-on experience and confidence are two assets gained by ULM School of Nursing students, aided largely by the training they receive at the school’s new Clinical Simulation Center, located on the second floor of the Nursing Building. The School of Nursing welcomed the community to its new, state-of-the-art center May 1 in the Nursing Building.
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ULM's future nurses have been working with simulated patients for more than three years, allowing them to practice trauma intervention and daily assessment on these highly-technological manikins programmed by professors to breathe and to produce heart, lung and bowel sounds. The manikins can gag, wheeze, and even talk, thanks to integrated computers. The simulated patients can also be programmed to become critically ill and to be resuscitated, or be set up to “die” if observing instructors notice a student missing a critical step while training.
Nursing students value such a practical approach, according to second level student Stephanie Jordan of Collingston. “You receive real, hands-on experience, as everything works like it would with a real human patient. We learn a lot better doing things this way than by only attending lectures or reading textbooks. We also experience the range of emotions present in emergency situations.”
Second level nursing student Emily Church of Monroe agreed. “It’s so different than when you’re sitting in the classroom. You remember these situations – you get just as anxious as you would with a real patient. This is very effective training, and we are glad that this opportunity is here.”
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College of Health Sciences Dean Denny Ryman praised the talented and hardworking School of Nursing faculty and staff. “Everything the students learn here is going to benefit patients in the future.”
According to School of Nursing assistant professor Rayne Lowder, various medical scenarios are programmed into the simulated patients, giving more experience and insight. “It’s not just about bedside nursing. They role-play the part of supervisors, learning the best way to communicate with family members. All of this allows them to retain knowledge and concepts of patient care as they go out in the workforce.”
Russell Smith, executive territory manager for Laerdal Medical Corporation, emphasized that improved patient outcomes result from experience with simulated scenarios. “The patients are truly the ones who benefit when experienced students enter into the medical field.”
The Clinical Simulation Center is partially funded by two grants: Louisiana Board of Regents Enhancement Fund, $40,000, and the National Student Nurses Foundation, $18,000. The grants, secured by ULM nursing faculty, fund the center's authentic medical equipment and an observation area with a one-way mirror. Soon, video equipment in the new center will allow faculty and students to review the scenarios and learn from them. The center will also feature NOELLE, a maternal and neonatal birthing manikin, who can “deliver” a baby.
The new center illustrates the “limitless creativity of ULM’s faculty and staff,” said President James Cofer. “We often talk about providing our students with unique opportunities outside of the classroom, and this new state-of-the-art center center accomplishes that.”
As the technology enhancements in the ULM School of Nursing continue to flourish, the academic excellence of its students continues to thrive. The Louisiana State Board of Nursing 2007 pass rate is 95.31—a rate well above the national average.
Nursing faculty envision the College of Health Sciences eventually offering a multi-disciplinary simulation, hoping that one day, students will transport simulated patients to the radiology department where they’ll utilize x-ray machines and other technology.
For more information about the School of Nursing and the new simulation center, contact Gibson at (318) 342-1644 or fgibson@ulm.edu.
Proposed online M.F.A. in creative writing: a first in Louisiana
The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (M.F.A.), a proposed online graduate program at The University of Louisiana at Monroe, gained initial approval from the UL System Board of Supervisors. The BOS approved ULM's letter of intent for the program—the first of its kind in Louisiana—April 25 in Baton Rouge.
Next, the letter of intent will be reviewed by the Louisiana Board of Regents. ULM will continue to work with the BOR and BOS in developing the degree, which is slated to begin offering classes in the fall of 2010.
The M.F.A. provides advanced study in the writing of fiction, nonfiction and poetry, with a mix of online workshops and literary seminars. With the exception of the introductory seminar, this degree, which prepares its graduates for careers in professional writing and in the teaching of creative writing, will be delivered entirely online.
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“This online degree will meet the needs of many people interested in creative writing, in and beyond the region, inasmuch as many cannot come to campus regularly yet have professional aspirations in creative or other forms of professional writing.”
The program includes the following activities: two years of study; a creative thesis (book length collection of creative work); completion of required coursework; a thorough introduction to the theories and professional practices associated with creative writing; and a two-week introductory seminar that all participants will be required to attend on site.
Benefitting the workforce:
The National Commission on Writing, sponsored by The College Board, reported in 2005 that because a significant number of employees fail to have requisite writing skills for their positions, the private sector spends a quarter of a billion dollars annually to improve the quality of writing in the workplace. Knowledge of many kinds of writing gives potential employees a distinct market advantage over their peers who have not been so trained.
Regardless of undergraduate major, an advanced knowledge of writing provides a great deal of added value in the students’ chosen profession.
With the M.F.A. in Creative Writing, students would be exposed to a number of writing contexts, essential for any career in writing or communications, and they would naturally gain necessary experience and knowledge for their own publishing ambitions, according to the M.F.A. letter of intent.
For more information about the degree, contact Cass at jcass@ulm.edu.
ULM’s Health Studies program celebrates first anniversary
The University of Louisiana Health Studies program celebrated its first anniversary May 1 in Sugar Hall.
The Health Studies program, totaling 83 students after its first year, is a progressive four-year curriculum that prepares students for entry-level management jobs in non-clinical areas of healthcare or entry into graduate programs.
This program begins with two years of guided liberal arts courses, including humanities, mathematics and sciences, on the main campus. Students then take a variety of health study courses during the final two years. Admittance to the health studies program begins with admission to the university. Information can be found at www.ulm.edu/prospectivestudents/ .
The Health Studies program also offers the Healthcare Marketing/Management option online in an accelerated format. The on-campus and online curricula are very similar; however, all health studies courses in the online program are offered in an eight-week accelerated system. The online accelerated method provides limited disruption to a student’s life while maintaining efficient, high-quality education.
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For more information about the Health Studies program, contact Dolecheck at dolecheck@ulm.edu or go to www.ulm.edu/healthstudies/.
ULM Spring Commencement set for May 17
ULM alumnus Robert Barham, currently serving as secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, will speak at the ULM Spring Commencement Saturday, May 17 at 2 p.m. in Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
Barham served in the U.S. Army from 1970 to 1972. His public service began when he was elected mayor of the town of Oak Ridge in 1982. From 1973 through 1994, he supervised family farming operations in northeast Louisiana.
Barham, a life-long resident of Oak Ridge, served as a state senator for Louisiana’s 33rd District, representing Morehouse, Union, East Carroll, West Carroll, and parts of Claiborne and Ouachita Parishes from 1994 to 2008. In the Senate, he served as chairman of numerous committees, including the Homeland Security Committee, the Senate Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development Committee, and the Senate Natural Resources Committee. He also served as chairman of the Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee for eight years.
He has received many awards through the years, including the Outstanding Legislator of the Year Award from the Louisiana Wildlife Federation and the National Award for Conservation of Natural Resources from the Daughters of the American Revolution. He was awarded the Outstanding Individual in Agriculture Award from the Louisiana Ag Council in 2000 and the Legislator of the Year Award from the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce in 2002.
Barham is a 2007 Inductee into the LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction. He has a bachelor’s of science degree from LSU, a master’s degree from ULM, and is a graduate of LSU’s Ag Leadership School.
He will be joined at the commencement ceremony by his wife Melba Pipes Barham, also a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
Clinical Laboratory Science Honor Society inducts members; celebrates National Medical Laboratory Professionals’ Week
The ULM Beta Delta Chapter of Lambda Tau National Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology Honor Society held its annual Initiation Banquet April 23 in the ULM Student Union Building.
Lambda Tau is a national academic honor society that recognizes scholarship, professionalism and dedication to the profession of clinical laboratory science in college students majoring in that field. A 3.0 or higher grade point average is required to qualify for membership in this organization. The ULM CLS faculty advisor for Lambda Tau is Dr. Michael Ramsey.
The students inducted into provisional membership included Sarah Walters, Melinda Bennett, Emma McHenry, Christina Smith and LaToya Smith. Those students advancing from provisional membership to active membership included Laura Beth Harkness, Jessica Auston, Mandi Hollis and Michelle Thomas. Lambda Tau officers led the induction ceremony: Jordan Bivens, president; Kimberly Dupre, secretary; and Katelyn Moore, treasurer.
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The event was held during National Medical Laboratory Professionals’ Week, which provides the profession with a unique opportunity to increase public understanding of and appreciation for, clinical laboratory personnel. According to Debbie Wisenor, interim department head of Clinical Laboratory Science, “There are approximately 300,000 practitioners of clinical laboratory science in the United States. The clinical laboratory science professional plays a vital role in the diagnosis and prevention of disease and is a key member of the health care team.”
ULM added to Drum Corps International Summer Music Games Tour; locally scheduled for July 21
The University of Louisiana at Monroe Band Department recently announced the inclusion of ULM to the Drum Corps International Summer Music Games Tour, scheduled locally for July 21 at 7 p.m. in Malone Stadium.
The show has been given the name “The Battle on the Bayou” and will feature seven corps - three of which are from the top 12 at the 2007 World Championships in Pasadena, Calif. Some of the participating corps are the Phantom Regiment, Carolina Crown, and Spirit.
Through the annual Summer Music Games Tour and more than 35 World Championships in 16 North American cities, Drum Corps International provides entertainment to millions through live performances and nationally-televised events, now presented on ESPN2. Drum Corps International is Marching Music’s Major League™.
For tickets, visit www.dci.org/ or call (317) 275-1212, ext. 3.
Several levels of corporate and individual sponsorships are available for “The Battle on the Bayou.” For sponsorship information contact the ULM Band office at (318) 342-1580 or (318) 342-1594. You can also email Jason Rinehart at rinehart@ulm.edu or Derle Long at long@ulm.edu.
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ULM's police department is the first in north Louisiana to use the LACRASH software. The training was conducted by Louisiana State University and Louisiana Highway Safety.
Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office, Ruston Police Department, Delhi Police Department and West Monroe Police Department also attended the training.
For more information, contact ULM Police Chief Larry Ellerman at (318) 342-5350.
Wine Over Water
The University of Louisiana at Monroe invites you to attend its third annual Signature event, Wine Over Water, Thursday May 22, 2008 on the ULM Campus bridge from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The attire is dressy casual (no denim or shorts please) and tickets can be purchased at the ULM Alumni Center for $50 per person.
Experience the tradition by strolling across the historic ULM Bridge spanning the scenic bayou beside the library while sampling wine and hors d' oeuvres from various local restaurants. Not only has this premier event grown and expanded, Wine Over Water is the University of Louisiana at Monroe's Signature event, with proceeds benefiting ULM Scholarship funds.
On the bridge you will be served delectable food samples from Aramark, Catfish Cabin, Copeland's of New Orleans, Cormier's, Dan's BBQ, Dilla's, Moe's, Not Just Pie, Pie Works, Portico, Restaurant Sage, Shoney's, Sports City Grill, The Brandy House, The Kitchen, The Warehouse, Thurman's, Vieux Carre Gourmet, and Waterfront Grill. Enjoy more than 15 feature wines provided by Glazer's and beverages provided by Marsala Beverage and Coca-Cola.
Enjoy live entertainment by Dr. Zarr's Amazing Funk Monster, while cruising the beautiful Bayou DeSaird on party barges compliments of Letsinger Marine. Photography for the evening is provided by Patty Stewart Photography.
As a prelude, the Patron Party will be hosted one hour in advance on the 7th floor of the ULM Library overlooking the main event. As a patron attendee you will enjoy specialties exclusively by Aramark and party barge cruises including a complimentary cocktail hour.
New to this year's event is an Online Auction that can be viewed now through May 19 at www.tizm.com. Please visit the site and look for ULM's Wine Over Water auction. Packages include:
- A Guided Duck Hunt for Two
- Day of Beauty and Gift Basket
- Private Karaoke Party
- Dental Laser Whitening
- Spa and Body Care Package
- By Land or By Sea Package
- Child's Birthday Party
- Wardrobe Upgrade
- Private Tailgate Party
- New Orleans Weekend Getaway
Visit our auction and make your bid today!!
Wine Over Water commemorative wine glasses may be purchased at the event for only $10 each. If you would like to become a sponsor, purchase tickets, or have any questions, please contact the ULM Alumni Center at 342-5420 or 866-WARHAWK.
Wine Over Water has been recognized as an exemplary alumni event in the country by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Do not miss this opportunity to support our local University, to raise scholarship funding, and enjoy a memorable evening on the delightful University of Louisiana at Monroe campus.
On behalf of everyone at the University of Monroe, thank you for your support and involvement. Wine Over Water - A Taste Of The University!
Wine Over Water thanks its sponsors:
Merlot: Herbert Land Architect, Johnny's Pizza, TB Architecture
Pinot Noir: Architecture Plus, Argent Advisors, Automated Imaging Systems, Inc., Entergy, Oglesby Financial Group
Zinfandel: ArkLaMiss Surgery Center, Architecture Associates, Atmos Energy, Community Trust Bank, Donald Hammett MD, Haddad Appliance Service, Holyfield Construction, iBERIABANK, J.P. Morgan Chase, Louisiana Extended Care Hospital of West Monroe National Association of Purchasing Management LOU-ARK, Ouachita Terminals, Inc., Ouachita Community Hospital, Progressive Bank, Regions Bank.
Water Ski Team to celebrate 30 years!
The ULM Water Ski Team, perennial National Champions, will celebrate their 30 year anniversary the weekend of October 25 - 26, 2008. We need for all water ski alumni to go to www.ulm.edu/alumni and update their record.
For more information on this great event, contact the ULM Alumni Center at (318) 342-5420 / 866-927-4295 or Coach Treina Landrum at (318) 342-5313 or landrum@ulm.edu.
Stories courtesy of ULM's Office of University Relations
Information for the M.F.A. story was obtained from the M.F.A. letter of intent.
Photos courtesy of Richard Lupo, University Photo Services
© - The University of Louisiana at Monroe and the ULM Alumni Association
700 University Avenue • Monroe, LA 71209 • (318) 342-1000