By Lorenzo Salinas

l.v.salinas@panews.com

 

After a school year filled with many academic ups and one too many weather-related downs, Lamar University is set to start the 2018-2019 school year strong.

At the 2018 Lamar Convocation on Tuesday, President Kenneth Evans gave his state of the university address. Here are some highlights.

Beck Fellows

In academics, Evans spoke of the university’s David J. Beck Fellowships, through which top students can receive opportunities for unique undergraduate work like academic research and study abroad.

“We have a very special group of students whom we recognize each year for their exceptional scholarship,” he said.

Normally, the fellowship is awarded to two students but the list of qualified candidates has grown since its induction.

“We had so many exceptional candidates that we added another tier,” Evans said, “the Presidential Summer Fellows.”

The new program affords students who had placed as top finalists for the Beck Fellowship the opportunity to conduct summer research with the possibility for studying abroad. Evans described it as an amazing opportunity for students.

“Back in my day… those kinds of opportunity were only provided for graduate students if they were lucky,” he said. “But more likely, it was for faculty on fellowship.”

2018 Beck Fellows are Sakurah Fisher and David Quispe. 2018 Presidential Fellows are Emily McCall, Margaret Kay-Alana Turner and Amanda Warner.

An inclusive
university

Director of Disability Resource Center Kyle Mutz took the opportunity to discuss the inclusive nature of Lamar University.

“Our department offers a variety of special services to ensure students with disabilities are given equivalent experience as their peers,” Mutz said.

Mutz listed some of the hardships the university has had to endure and overcome, such as Hurricane Harvey, a localized tornado, snowfall and the loss of Lamar First Lady Nancy Evans.

“And yet we find ways to lead and to inspire,” he said.

Mutz commented on how his travels, including participation in the Paralympic Games, have given him a global perspective on student disability.

“It reminded me how important it is to have someone to support your goals and dreams,” Mutz said. “And you must be humble, genuine, accessible and never forget your own personal journey to build trust.”

To that end, the DRC is committed to offering an array of supporting services, accommodations and advocacy efforts to students with special needs.

“Lamar University is working to celebrate this aspect of its diversity,” Mutz said. “We’re really looking to be an inclusive university… and we’re really excited about that.”

He introduced a video that detailed how Lamar and its DRC had helped students with disabilities adjust and thrive at the college.

New construction,
new success

“Success for students is also a function of the facilities we have for them,” Evans said.

He listed some of the recent renovations and improvements the university has done for several of its facilities.

“The library and the work done there has changed the whole dynamics of the first floor,” Evans said.

The first floor of the Mary and John Gray Library had been redone with better seating, a Starbucks and a larger computer lab among other student services.

“We had a grand opening at the Setzer Center,” Evans said. “The fascinating thing about it was we had a huge crowd of students who attended and immediately took ownership for the Set Center. It was pretty cool to see that.”

The Setzer Student Center and Quadrangle grand opening featured the Live Oak Ballroom, new food court options and many new offices and meeting rooms.

Lamar University plans to open its Science and Technology Building sometime this fall.

“It will have a lab space and office space and maker lab…” Evans said. “More importantly, it is the first new building fully dedicated to academics in more than five decades.

“It speaks to the tremendous need this community has to improve its educational space.”

More research money

In touting the number of academic grants the university has received, Evans gave an lengthy list.

Lamar faculty, with colleagues from University of Texas at Austin, had landed a $4 million grant from the Department of Energy for offshore geologic CO2 storage.

Lamar’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry received a Welch Foundation grant in the amount of $120,000.

Lamar University received a $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation as part of its Major Research Instrumentation program.

This was in addition to individual faculty members earning a number of grants from organizations like NSF and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

Evans said the university has nearly doubled the number of external research grants it has received.

“We’re on a positive trajectory, and that’s because of the collective efforts of everyone in this room,” he said.

Weathering the storm

Evans spoke of both the hardships Harvey brought, but more importantly the way in which Lamar students and staff came together to help out both the community and each other.

The university started offering credit hours to students who wanted to volunteer and complete more of their undergraduate work. The program was named “Harvey’s Heroes.”

Volunteers from within Lamar and beyond contributed to feeding and relief efforts that encompassed both the greater Beaumont and Port Arthur areas.

“It was an amazing collective effort of humanity,” he said.

In addition, the university made special arrangements with students who were slated to attend that fall semester but were otherwise adversely affected by Harvey.

Evans said faculty and staff did such an outstanding job helping students in need that the original estimate of the university losing 1,500 students due to flooding became only a little over 500.

“Between what that number could have been and what it actually became was amazing…” Evans said. “It’s an amazing tribute to the incredible group of people we have here.”

In addition, Lamar weathered a snowstorm during the winter semester and a straight-line wind event afterward.

First lady

Evans took a moment to remember his wife Nancy, who died in June. She served as Lamar’s first lady.

Evans said he looked forward to the new school year and thanked the audience on behalf of the university and his family.