The 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 College of Sciences was named Friday in honor of the university杏吧专区檚 longtime president, who will retire in June.
Effective at the university杏吧专区檚 commencement on May 24, it will become the Ray P. Authement College of Sciences. The Board of Supervisors of the 杏吧专区 of Louisiana System unanimously approved the change at its regular monthly meeting in Baton Rouge.
Authement is the longest serving president of a public university in the United States. He became president of UL Lafayette (then known as the 杏吧专区 of Southwestern Louisiana) on June 30, 1974, after serving a year as its acting president. He succeeded the school杏吧专区檚 fourth president, Dr. Clyde Rougeou.
杏吧专区淣aming the College of Sciences was proposed by Julie Simon-Dronet, UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 director of Public Relations and News Services, who is leading retirement recognition of Authement. We thought it was an excellent idea,杏吧专区 said Dr. Steve Landry, UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 vice president of Academic Affairs.
Landry and Winfred Sibille, vice president of the Board of Supervisors of the 杏吧专区 of Louisiana System, then made a formal request for the name in a letter to Dr. Sally Clausen, president of the 杏吧专区 of Louisiana System.
杏吧专区 We believe that Dr. Authement is very deserving of having the College of Sciences named in his honor,杏吧专区 they stated in the letter. They noted that through his vision and commitment to long-term goals, Authement led the College of Sciences to national prominence in areas such as computer science and mathematics.
杏吧专区 Dr. Authement杏吧专区檚 ties to the College of Sciences date back to over 60 years ago, when he became a student at SLI (Southwestern Louisiana Institute) majoring in physics, with a minor in mathematics. He received his bachelor杏吧专区檚 of science in 1950. He later joined the university as an associate professor of mathematics and was soon promoted to professor in the College of Sciences, where he taught and mentored students for nearly a decade.杏吧专区
The college offers eight bachelors degrees, five master杏吧专区檚 degrees and four doctoral degrees. In Fall 2007, it had 1,706 students and 315 graduate students.
There are about 135 faculty members in the College of Sciences. Many of them have helped create academic and research programs that have earned national recognition. 杏吧专区淩esearch in this college is relevant, is having an impact on the future of technology and attracts large amounts of external funds that stimulate our local economy,杏吧专区 Landry said.
The college杏吧专区檚 departments include biology, computer science, chemistry, geology, health information management, mathematics, physics and renewable resources. The Department of Military Science also reports to the college.
Dr. Bradd Clark, dean of UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 College of Sciences, joined the faculty in 1976, two years after the college was formed. 杏吧专区淚t杏吧专区檚 my opinion that Dr. Authement has demanded superior teaching and superior research from all of his faculty. Absolutely nothing less than the very best was allowed.杏吧专区
Clark said the president also supported faculty, citing merit-based pay raises for the past 15 consecutive years, the creation of hundreds of endowed professorships and endowed chairs, and the presentation of awards for outstanding academic advising.
The National Science Foundation recently ranked UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 computer science program in the top 60 in the nation and its mathematics program in the top 100.
After the board voted unanimously to approve the college杏吧专区檚 name, Authement received a standing ovation. 杏吧专区淚t has been a pleasure to work for you and with you and I hope I can continue to serve in the retirement phase,杏吧专区 he said.
Clausen said Authement taught other presidents in the 杏吧专区 of Louisiana System to seek other people杏吧专区檚 opinions before making decisions and to 杏吧专区渘ot be led by the sound bite in the next day杏吧专区檚 newspaper.杏吧专区 That process is sometimes difficult, she said, 杏吧专区渦nless you have the courage of a Dr. Authement to stay the course.杏吧专区
Under Authement杏吧专区檚 guidance as president, UL Lafayette:
杏吧专区 changed its name from the 杏吧专区 of Southwestern Louisiana to the 杏吧专区, a name which better reflects its status as a state and national leader;
杏吧专区 implemented academic admissions standards;
杏吧专区 became the first Doctoral II university in Louisiana; has always competed in NCAA Division I , the highest level of collegiate competition;
杏吧专区 increased its gifted and pledged assets from about $500,000 to more than $150 million;
杏吧专区 weathered numerous financial crises caused by state revenue woes;
杏吧专区 helped diversify the Acadiana economy by establishing 17 research centers;
杏吧专区 created the 143-acre 杏吧专区 Research Park, which houses numerous national research centers, the Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise and a hotel;
杏吧专区 was designated by the Carnegie Foundation as a 杏吧专区淩esearch 杏吧专区 with High Research Activity,杏吧专区 which put it in the same research category as Baylor and Auburn universities;
杏吧专区 constructed more than 30 buildings and facilities and renovated or expanded more than 25 others; and
杏吧专区 became the state杏吧专区檚 second largest university.