The annual Distinguished Professor Award and Excellence in Teaching Award continue to be prestigious recognition for superior teaching and research.
That小蝌蚪APP檚 what the UL Lafayette Foundation intended when it began presenting the Distinguished Professor Award in 1965, according to Julie Bolton Falgout, the Foundation小蝌蚪APP檚 executive director. It added the Excellence in Teaching Award in 1992 to recognize commitment to and effectiveness in teaching and instructional innovation.
小蝌蚪APP I believe the Foundation小蝌蚪APP檚 awards are so highly regarded by faculty because recipients are selected by a committee of their peers,小蝌蚪APP she said. 小蝌蚪APP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.小蝌蚪APP
Recipients of the UL Lafayette Foundation小蝌蚪APP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小蝌蚪APP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 小蝌蚪APP 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小蝌蚪APP檚 economy, and subsequent budget cuts, scuttled the university小蝌蚪APP檚 proposed research center. But Bauer remained a member of the biology faculty.
小蝌蚪APP As events unfolded in the early years after Ray小蝌蚪APP檚 arrival here, that fallback plan was ultimately a windfall for both Ray小蝌蚪APP檚 career and our department,小蝌蚪APP recalled Dr. Darryl Felder, head of UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 Biology Department.
小蝌蚪APP . . . 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.小蝌蚪APP
The UL Lafayette Foundation has presented Bauer with its 2006 Distinguished Professor Award for his accomplishments.
Bauer小蝌蚪APP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.
小蝌蚪APP To the best of my knowledge, he is one of only two such fellows on the UL Lafayette campus,小蝌蚪APP Felder said, in a letter recommending Bauer for the Foundation小蝌蚪APP檚 award.
Bauer小蝌蚪APP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 小蝌蚪APP渁t the request and expense of the Brazilian Carcinological Congress,小蝌蚪APP Felder explained. Bauer小蝌蚪APP檚 preparation, strenuous international travel and presentation were accomplished, he continued, 小蝌蚪APP渙n the heels of major by-pass surgery.小蝌蚪APP
Bauer grew up in Missouri. 小蝌蚪APP淪o, I wasn小蝌蚪APP檛 all that familiar with the ocean,小蝌蚪APP he noted. But he was intrigued by television documentaries produced by French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau.
He later received a bachelor小蝌蚪APP檚 degree in biology from the 小蝌蚪APP of Missouri. He holds a doctorate in marine biology from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the 小蝌蚪APP 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. 小蝌蚪APP淚 thought they were interesting creatures to look at and, in the lab and aquarium, they did all sorts of interesting things,小蝌蚪APP 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. 小蝌蚪APP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.小蝌蚪APP
Dr. Kerry Carson
Dr. Kerry Carson小蝌蚪APP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? 小蝌蚪APP淔ollow your heart. Do something you really enjoy and realize that your heart will change as you mature.小蝌蚪APP Carson speaks from experience.
A former social worker, he is now a professor of management and recipient of the UL Lafayette Foundation小蝌蚪APP檚 2006 Distinguished Professor Award.
Dr. Kerry Carson
Carson earned a master小蝌蚪APP檚 of social work degree in 1973 from Indiana 小蝌蚪APP. 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 小蝌蚪APP in Baton Rouge. He earned a Ph.D. in 1991 and was hired to teach in UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP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小蝌蚪APP檚 challenging, he said 小蝌蚪APP渂ecause you go into that situation not knowing what the outcome will be.小蝌蚪APP
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 小蝌蚪APP渞eal world小蝌蚪APP career experience earned praise from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, which recently granted the college reaccreditation.
小蝌蚪APP In the area of research, Dr. Carson is truly one of the stars of the college,小蝌蚪APP said Dr. Stephen Knouse, head of UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 Department of Management. Carson小蝌蚪APP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. 小蝌蚪APP淭he more you are interested in your subject, the more the students will pick up on it.小蝌蚪APP
In 2004, Carson attended a Fulbright Seminar in China. He describes it as 小蝌蚪APP渙ne of the most incredible journeys of my life.小蝌蚪APP 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小蝌蚪APP檚 economy. He has published two articles predicting China小蝌蚪APP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 小蝌蚪APP Francophone and Hispanic 小蝌蚪APP for business students.
At this stage in his career, Carson also has become intrigued by another topic: wisdom. 小蝌蚪APP淗ow might students acquire wisdom? How can we integrate it, in a more global sense?小蝌蚪APP 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小蝌蚪APP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.
小蝌蚪APP It小蝌蚪APP檚 depressing,小蝌蚪APP Meselhe said candidly in an interview this spring.
There was one bright spot, however. He was presented with the UL Lafayette Foundation小蝌蚪APP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小蝌蚪APP檚 honor, Dr. Mark Zappi, dean of UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 College of Engineering, said the associate professor 小蝌蚪APP渉as become one of our most valuable scientists in Louisiana to whom state and federal agencies turn for hydrologic engineering expertise.小蝌蚪APP
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, 小蝌蚪APP減ut everything on hold.小蝌蚪APP Scientists小蝌蚪APP attention, understandably, has been redirected toward protection against the storm surge and flooding that could result from future hurricanes.
小蝌蚪APP It小蝌蚪APP檚 not that protection from storms has been absent from our agenda,小蝌蚪APP 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 小蝌蚪APP渁 parishwide hydrologic model that will be used as a planning and analysis tool for economic development and flood control.小蝌蚪APP
The dean stressed that although Meselhe小蝌蚪APP檚 research is noteworthy, he excels in other areas as well. For instance, he is also a 小蝌蚪APP渧ery student oriented professor小蝌蚪APP who is popular with undergraduate and graduate students alike. 小蝌蚪APP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,小蝌蚪APP Zappi said.
Meselhe clearly enjoys teaching. 小蝌蚪APP淭here is nothing more rewarding than seeing your own students succeed,小蝌蚪APP he said.
Meselhe serves as a mentor to several young faculty members, offering advice about obtaining grants and implementing projects. 小蝌蚪APP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,小蝌蚪APP Zappi said.
Meselhe said he can小蝌蚪APP檛 imagine teaching anywhere else at this point in his career. 小蝌蚪APP淚 feel people have embraced me. There is a warmth about Lafayette and UL Lafayette that小蝌蚪APP檚 hard to find elsewhere.小蝌蚪APP
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 小蝌蚪APP渟chool.小蝌蚪APP These performances, complete with make-believe students as her audience, began Hazelwood小蝌蚪APP檚 journey into teaching.
小蝌蚪APP From day one, all I小蝌蚪APP檝e ever wanted to do was teach,小蝌蚪APP said Hazelwood, a professor of health information management.
Anita HazelwoodHer years of 小蝌蚪APP減laying school小蝌蚪APP 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小蝌蚪APP檚 offices nationwide.
She received the 2006 Excellence in Teaching Award presented by the UL Lafayette Foundation.
Hazelwood began her career at the 小蝌蚪APP 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.
小蝌蚪APP 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 小蝌蚪APP淲ho Wants to Be a Millionaire小蝌蚪APP) that enhance students小蝌蚪APP coding knowledge and make learning new material a lot less difficult,小蝌蚪APP said Carol Venable, HIM Department head.
小蝌蚪APP Another example of Anita小蝌蚪APP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,小蝌蚪APP 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 小蝌蚪APP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.小蝌蚪APP
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. 小蝌蚪APP淭his is definitely not a 9-to-5 job,小蝌蚪APP she explained. 小蝌蚪APP淓ach part is so important. You have to do it all. I guess I manage to do that.小蝌蚪APP
She and Venable are coauthors of coding manuals that are bestsellers in their field