The annual Distinguished Professor Award and Excellence in Teaching Award continue to be prestigious recognition for superior teaching and research.
That杏吧专区檚 what the UL Lafayette Foundation intended when it began presenting the Distinguished Professor Award in 1965, according to Julie Bolton Falgout, the Foundation杏吧专区檚 executive director. It added the Excellence in Teaching Award in 1992 to recognize commitment to and effectiveness in teaching and instructional innovation.
杏吧专区 I believe the Foundation杏吧专区檚 awards are so highly regarded by faculty because recipients are selected by a committee of their peers,杏吧专区 she said. 杏吧专区淭ruly extraordinary work always gets noticed. Faculty at UL Lafayette know who is conducting exceptional research and who is making the classroom a place where students are challenged to give their best effort.杏吧专区
Recipients of the UL Lafayette Foundation杏吧专区檚 2006 Distinguished Professor Award are Dr. Ray Bauer, professor of biology; Dr. Kerry Carson, professor of management; and Dr. Ehab Meselhe, associate professor of civil engineering. Anita Hazelwood, professor of health information management, was presented with the Foundation杏吧专区檚 2006 Excellence in Teaching Award.
They were honored by the Foundation at a banquet held at the River Oaks Club this spring. Award winners each receive a stipend and their names are inscribed on plaques on display in Edith Garland Dupr茅 Library.
Dr. Raymond Bauer
In 1986, Dr. Raymond Bauer left an associate professor post at the 杏吧专区 of Puerto Rico to take what promised to be the job of his dreams.
A biologist who studies shrimps, he had been hired by UL Lafayette (then known as USL) to establish a Center for Crustacean Research. The university assured him that he would have a teaching position in the Biology Department if plans for the center failed to materialize.
Dr. Raymond Bauer
A downturn in the state杏吧专区檚 economy, and subsequent budget cuts, scuttled the university杏吧专区檚 proposed research center. But Bauer remained a member of the biology faculty.
杏吧专区 As events unfolded in the early years after Ray杏吧专区檚 arrival here, that fallback plan was ultimately a windfall for both Ray杏吧专区檚 career and our department,杏吧专区 recalled Dr. Darryl Felder, head of UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 Biology Department.
杏吧专区 . . . He has become a skilled and respected teacher, a world-renown and very well-published researcher, a very successful mentor for both doctoral and masters students, and a respected leader in the world community of crustacean biologists.杏吧专区
The UL Lafayette Foundation has presented Bauer with its 2006 Distinguished Professor Award for his accomplishments.
Bauer杏吧专区檚 designation as a fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science is an indication of the respect he has earned in his field.
杏吧专区 To the best of my knowledge, he is one of only two such fellows on the UL Lafayette campus,杏吧专区 Felder said, in a letter recommending Bauer for the Foundation杏吧专区檚 award.
Bauer杏吧专区檚 commitment to his profession was evident when he presented a paper at a joint conference of two international professional organizations last year in Florianopolis, Brazil. His participation was 杏吧专区渁t the request and expense of the Brazilian Carcinological Congress,杏吧专区 Felder explained. Bauer杏吧专区檚 preparation, strenuous international travel and presentation were accomplished, he continued, 杏吧专区渙n the heels of major by-pass surgery.杏吧专区
Bauer grew up in Missouri. 杏吧专区淪o, I wasn杏吧专区檛 all that familiar with the ocean,杏吧专区 he noted. But he was intrigued by television documentaries produced by French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau.
He later received a bachelor杏吧专区檚 degree in biology from the 杏吧专区 of Missouri. He holds a doctorate in marine biology from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the 杏吧专区 of California, San Diego.
Bauer became interested in marine shrimps during graduate school, when he helped one of his professors examine marine life at the tidal level along the California coast. 杏吧专区淚 thought they were interesting creatures to look at and, in the lab and aquarium, they did all sorts of interesting things,杏吧专区 he said.
Thirty years later, he is the professor helping students pursue their interest in marine biology.
The fact that Bauer speaks Spanish is valuable lagniappe, according to Felder. 杏吧专区淗e is an excellent bridge with Latin American colleagues and professional societies there. In no small way, this has assisted our department in recruiting excellent graduate students from throughout Latin America.杏吧专区
Dr. Kerry Carson
Dr. Kerry Carson杏吧专区檚 natural curiosity and regard for personal growth have taken him on a career path that has had a few twists and turns.
His advice to students? 杏吧专区淔ollow your heart. Do something you really enjoy and realize that your heart will change as you mature.杏吧专区 Carson speaks from experience.
A former social worker, he is now a professor of management and recipient of the UL Lafayette Foundation杏吧专区檚 2006 Distinguished Professor Award.
Dr. Kerry Carson
Carson earned a master杏吧专区檚 of social work degree in 1973 from Indiana 杏吧专区. He began his career in clinical social work, first as a correctional institution counselor for young adult felons, then as a psychiatric social worker who focused on helping children and adolescents.
A few years later, Carson joined an executive team for a mental health center, where he directed more than 80 clinical staff members.
But in 1987, he went back to school. He became a full-time student on the organizational behavior track of the business administration doctoral program at Louisiana State 杏吧专区 in Baton Rouge. He earned a Ph.D. in 1991 and was hired to teach in UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration a year later.
One of the courses Carson teaches is a practicum for the Master of Business Administration program. Grad students form teams and develop strategic plans for not-for-profit organizations in Acadiana. It杏吧专区檚 challenging, he said 杏吧专区渂ecause you go into that situation not knowing what the outcome will be.杏吧专区
In addition to teaching the grad-level practicum, Carson has been instrumental in helping the college attract adjunct faculty, professionals in the community who each teach one or two classes per semester. His efforts to provide students with personal and vicarious 杏吧专区渞eal world杏吧专区 career experience earned praise from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, which recently granted the college reaccreditation.
杏吧专区 In the area of research, Dr. Carson is truly one of the stars of the college,杏吧专区 said Dr. Stephen Knouse, head of UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 Department of Management. Carson杏吧专区檚 current research areas include health care management, career development, psychological fallout from demotion in the workplace and the history of management.
Carson said keeping up with the latest information in his field helps him engage his students. 杏吧专区淭he more you are interested in your subject, the more the students will pick up on it.杏吧专区
In 2004, Carson attended a Fulbright Seminar in China. He describes it as 杏吧专区渙ne of the most incredible journeys of my life.杏吧专区 Along with a group of professors from other universities, and four colleagues from UL Lafayette, he retraced the path of the ancient Silk Road, trade routes that once connected China with Europe.
Since his return, Carson has lectured to two university groups about China杏吧专区檚 economy. He has published two articles predicting China杏吧专区檚 future economic dominance and what it will mean to business education. Because of his growing interest in international issues, he took the lead in 2005 in the development of two language and culture minors 杏吧专区 Francophone and Hispanic 杏吧专区 for business students.
At this stage in his career, Carson also has become intrigued by another topic: wisdom. 杏吧专区淗ow might students acquire wisdom? How can we integrate it, in a more global sense?杏吧专区 he asks rhetorically.
His list of research interests just keeps getting longer.
Dr. Ehab Meselhe
As a civil engineer who studies water systems, Dr. Ehab Meselhe has long been aware of how much damage a major hurricane could cause if it struck Louisiana杏吧专区檚 fragile coast.
He is a respected expert who, for many years, has been working with other researchers across the state to restore ailing wetlands and barrier islands that once offered a measure of protection from storms.
Dr. Ehab MeselheBut in August, Hurricane Katrina struck southeastern Louisiana. A month later, Hurricane Rita made landfall in the southwestern portion of the state. Both storms were devastating.
杏吧专区 It杏吧专区檚 depressing,杏吧专区 Meselhe said candidly in an interview this spring.
There was one bright spot, however. He was presented with the UL Lafayette Foundation杏吧专区檚 2006 Distinguished Professor Award.
He had already received the 2006 Louisiana Engineering Foundation Engineering Faculty Professionalism Award. Last year, he was honored by the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, which gave him its Coastal Stewardship Award.
In a letter recommending Meselhe for the Foundation杏吧专区檚 honor, Dr. Mark Zappi, dean of UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 College of Engineering, said the associate professor 杏吧专区渉as become one of our most valuable scientists in Louisiana to whom state and federal agencies turn for hydrologic engineering expertise.杏吧专区
Meselhe was working on two major research projects related to coastal Louisiana before the hurricanes struck. He was developing a comprehensive model for the Chenier Plain, in the southwestern part of the state. It would enable scientists to evaluate existing water management and control structures, as well as assess restoration options.
Meselhe was also leading a team of scientists who were developing a large-scale, three dimensional model for the Lower Mississippi River. It will be used to assess existing and proposed projects designed to divert water from the Mississippi River to nutrient-starved wetlands.
But the hurricanes, he said, 杏吧专区減ut everything on hold.杏吧专区 Scientists杏吧专区 attention, understandably, has been redirected toward protection against the storm surge and flooding that could result from future hurricanes.
杏吧专区 It杏吧专区檚 not that protection from storms has been absent from our agenda,杏吧专区 he said. But now it is the highest priority.
Closer to home, Meselhe is helping the Lafayette Parish Consolidated Government develop what Zappi described as 杏吧专区渁 parishwide hydrologic model that will be used as a planning and analysis tool for economic development and flood control.杏吧专区
The dean stressed that although Meselhe杏吧专区檚 research is noteworthy, he excels in other areas as well. For instance, he is also a 杏吧专区渧ery student oriented professor杏吧专区 who is popular with undergraduate and graduate students alike. 杏吧专区淔rom my conversations with the civil engineering students, he serves as a great mentor to students at all levels on how engineering can have a very positive impact on society,杏吧专区 Zappi said.
Meselhe clearly enjoys teaching. 杏吧专区淭here is nothing more rewarding than seeing your own students succeed,杏吧专区 he said.
Meselhe serves as a mentor to several young faculty members, offering advice about obtaining grants and implementing projects. 杏吧专区淗is guidance has been instrumental in making the Civil Engineering Department the most R&D (research and development) productive department within the college over the past few years,杏吧专区 Zappi said.
Meselhe said he can杏吧专区檛 imagine teaching anywhere else at this point in his career. 杏吧专区淚 feel people have embraced me. There is a warmth about Lafayette and UL Lafayette that杏吧专区檚 hard to find elsewhere.杏吧专区
Anita Hazelwood
When Anita Hazelwood and her sisters were growing up, they would transform their bedrooms into classrooms every day during the summer so they could play 杏吧专区渟chool.杏吧专区 These performances, complete with make-believe students as her audience, began Hazelwood杏吧专区檚 journey into teaching.
杏吧专区 From day one, all I杏吧专区檝e ever wanted to do was teach,杏吧专区 said Hazelwood, a professor of health information management.
Anita HazelwoodHer years of 杏吧专区減laying school杏吧专区 with her sisters, and her years of studying, have paid off. Hazelwood is a respected expert in the medical coding field and has co-authored five coding textbooks used in classrooms and physician杏吧专区檚 offices nationwide.
She received the 2006 Excellence in Teaching Award presented by the UL Lafayette Foundation.
Hazelwood began her career at the 杏吧专区 as a laboratory assistant and worked her way up to instructor, assistant professor, associate professor and professor. She has taught classes at all levels and coordinates two clinical courses in the HIM curriculum.
Hazelwood is known for using innovative teaching methods.
杏吧专区 She has the ability to take an ordinary course filled with difficult material and actually make it fun. She has designed a couple of games (fashioned after the television program 杏吧专区淲ho Wants to Be a Millionaire杏吧专区) that enhance students杏吧专区 coding knowledge and make learning new material a lot less difficult,杏吧专区 said Carol Venable, HIM Department head.
杏吧专区 Another example of Anita杏吧专区檚 teaching excellence is the fact that she was one of two faculty members asked to teach workshops nationally that helped to prepare graduates to successfully pass the national certification exam that is taken following graduation,杏吧专区 Venable continued. This type of work gets Hazelwood well-deserved recognition among peers across the country.
In 2003, she was presented with a Legacy Award from the American Health Information Management Association, the premier association for HIM leaders, for her extensive work in the HIM profession.
Hazelwood has earned fellowship status with the AHIMA. She is one of only 31 fellows designated by the association.
The AHIMA has stated that Hazelwood 杏吧专区渉as gone beyond the role of HIM educator and has become well-known not only by her students, but also by the HIM community. She is an expert in the field of reimbursement and coding systems and her publications are reader friendly and information focused.杏吧专区
Most recently, she finished writing chapters for three textbooks, which took more than a year because of her busy schedule.
Hazelwood said she believes in balancing her roles as educator and author. 杏吧专区淭his is definitely not a 9-to-5 job,杏吧专区 she explained. 杏吧专区淓ach part is so important. You have to do it all. I guess I manage to do that.杏吧专区
She and Venable are coauthors of coding manuals that are bestsellers in their field