LSUS Hosts First-Ever NAIA Champions of Character Game, Welcomes Elementary School Children The LSU Shreveport Pilots hosted the first-ever NAIA Champions of Character Game at The Dock Wednesday and were cheered on by hundreds of third and fourth graders. The LSUS men’s basketball team recently visited local elementary schools, including Southern Hill Elementary School, to share the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) five core values of a Champion of Character: respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, servant leadership, and integrity. The

team also invited the youngsters to the Champions of Character college basketball game to have fun and learn more about being filled with the five values. “Coach Blankenship and our staff did a tremendous job putting on a very memorable event,” said LSUS Athletic Director, Lucas Morgan. “The Champions of Character values are something our student-athletes learn the minute they step on campus, and we are very honored to share the positive messages of the NAIA with the children in our local community. We hope their experience will be something they will remember for a long time.” The inaugural event was headlined by a halftime Champions of Character presentation, led by Coach Kyle Blankenship, in which several LSUS student-athletes spoke about one of the five core values that was most important to them. “The opportunity to share the importance of sportsmanship with over 500 school-aged kids was so awesome,” said Courtney Randle, women’s basketball player. “Since I wasn’t playing, I had the ability to interact with them throughout the game and just to see the smiles on their faces was priceless.” In addition to the local schools in attendance, several members of the HUB leadership team brought a group of 20-plus homeless men as special guests of the Pilots where they were provided with free food and concessions during the contest.

The HUB is a local group that exists to walk those in poverty through a process that gives them hope, friendship, community, a place they belong and the skills needed to become self-sufficient by giving them access to rescue, relationships, resources and recovery. Following the halftime presentation, a group of nearly 50 students competed in a dance contest at mid-court that set the crowd into a frenzy. In addition to the dance contest, several kids were selected to compete in time-out promotions where they had the opportunity to win gift certificates and LSUS apparel. Most importantly, all of the kids in attendance left The Dock with a smile on their face as they were able to simply interact with the LSUS student-athletes throughout the contest, while taking pictures with and receiving autographs from the men’s basketball team. “Today was as much fun as I’ve had on the basketball court in a long time,” said men’s basketball player, Tyrell Springer. “The kids were so loud throughout the game, and I even heard several of them chanting my name after a breakaway dunk.” The men’s basketball team moved to 4-0 on the season by defeating Ecclesia College 103-90. “My hope is that we made a positive impact in someone’s life today, and that this is an event we can host annually as it represents everything our program and athletic department stands for,” Blankenship said. “We want to be second-to-none in our community engagement, and I believe this event reflected the importance of us building strong relationships with our local schools.” Visit the LSUS Athletics website for more photos from the game.

LSUS Marketing Professor Speaks to Students about the Need of Entrepreneurship Skills As part of National Entrepreneurship Month and Global Entrepreneurship Week, Dr. Michael Meeks, assistant professor of marketing at LSU Shreveport, talked to students and area professionals Wednesday about the growing need of entrepreneurship skills in all career paths. “For those of you who are graduating from school in the next decade, I can guarantee you that entrepreneurship will be a primary element in your life,” Meeks said. Attendees gathered in the UC Theatre at Common Hour, 11 a.m., to learn about the latest trends in entrepreneurship, innovation, and creativity, and how jobs and careers increasingly require entrepreneurial skills. Students also enjoyed a free sandwich lunch from the Student Activities Board (SAB). “We’ve been studying entrepreneurship and working in entrepreneurial ways. Public policy makers have been encouraging entrepreneurship for decades, which starts in the 1970s,” Meeks said. “Now we are starting to see the effects and the benefits of this tsunami that we call entrepreneurship.”

Meeks explored aggressive public policy changes, and the impact of entrepreneurship on local, national, and global economies. He also discussed the current developments and opportunities in entrepreneurship education. At the conclusion of the lecture he answered questions from students and said that he hopes entrepreneurship will be part of courses that are taught at LSUS in the near future to prepare students for an ever-changing work environment. Professionals in attendance were invited to the UC Ballroom after the lecture to further discussions on the topics of economic and technological growth in the nation and in the Shreveport area. Please visit the LSUS YouTube page for a video of Meeks’ insightful lecture.

Digital Arts Senior Wins at the 2016 DigiFest South Competition Michelle McDonald, senior, digital arts, was selected as the winner in the graphics category for her work called “Tech Tree” (pictured) from the Bossier Arts Council’s DigiArt Show and Competition. Along with receiving a certificate acknowledging her stunning work, she also received a $25 gift card. “I was blindsided by the news that my work was picked for graphics, and then immediately

excited,” McDonald said. “It feels great to be recognized because it shows that my hard work is paying off and that this road I'm on will lead to success.” The Digital Art Show categories include art film, animation, web design, digital photography, architecture, graphics, and digital music. The DigiFest South competition is a three day event where students are able to display their artwork and receive information from professionals and participants about careers and developments in digital arts. “It's awesome that there are opportunities like this to show off your work in Shreveport/Bossier, and it was great being able to participate,” McDonald said. The 2016 DigiFest South competition took place Sept. 13-15 and included students, professionals, and participants from the Shreveport and Bossier City areas. It is presented every year by the Bossier Arts Council (BAC) with the goals of “inspiring students to seek advanced education in digital arts, demonstrate the economic significance of this growing workforce, and emphasize the importance of S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) Educational models.” For more information about the DigiFest South competitions, visit digifestsouth.com or facebook.com/digifestsouth

Using AMAZON during the holidays? Use it as an opportunity to give back to LSUS!

With the holidays quickly approaching, there is one thing true for each of us. We are all likely to shop online at some point for that perfect gift! Amazon will give back to the charity of your choice, all you have to do is select your charity. Please visit Smile.Amazon.com when making Amazon purchases. Then you have the choice of selecting either LSU in Shreveport Foundation INC., or LSU Shreveport Alumni Association. AmazonSmile will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation. Two great ways to give back to LSUS!

REMINDER: Nominations Needed for Outstanding Service Awards

2016 marks the 44th year that LSUS has given Outstanding Service Awards. These awards recognize superior work performance and outstanding contributions of non-academic staff employees to the operation of LSU Shreveport. The recipients will be presented a certificate of recognition and a cash award. The funds for these awards are given by the LSUS Foundation.

We are accepting nominations for six awards; three classified and three unclassified employees, each will be recognized with a cash award of $250. The winners will be announced at the Annual Holiday Luncheon, to be held on Wednesday, December 7th.

Nominations may be made by any employee for any eligible non-academic employee. All full-time employees who have been employed one year as of December 1, 2016, are eligible. Winners of the award for the past year are excluded from consideration this year. Last year's winners were:

Classified: Jacqueline Langford, Valerie Holmes-Nicholas, Allen German Unclassified: Jonathan Cockrell, Kelly Wynn and Ashley Wood

Please note that the Chancellor, Vice Chancellors, Associate Vice Chancellors, and Deans are eligible for an award of recognition only. Also, Directors with academic rank are eligible for recognition only during this process. These individuals may be nominated and recognized as providing outstanding service; however they are not eligible for the monetary award.

Attachments to this memo include Nomination Guidelines, a Nomination Form and an eligible list. If you have any questions, please contact Human Resources at Ext. 5279. Deadline for nominations is 4:30 pm on Wednesday, November 30th.

To nominate online, click here: http://www.lsus.edu/serviceaward. Online nominations are automatically sent to Bill Wolfe only.

Paper nominations should be sent to:

Bill Wolfe Human Resource Management Administration Building, Room 109 Fax: 797-5124

The first LSUS Three Minute Thesis competition was held on Friday, 11/18/2016. Students were challenged to present their thesis research in only three minutes and using one slide. A fun yet challenging task. Special Thanks to Judges: Brooke Rinaudo, Dr. Iris Johnson, and Dr. Beverley Burden. The program was originated at

the University of Queensland and hosted on campus by the School of Graduate Studies and the Office of Sponsored Research. Winner Shannon Harris “The Geographic Distribution and Life History of the Crawfish, Procambarus machardyi.” Runner up Neal Traweek “Studies of Protein Phosphatase I (PPI) in Baker’s Yeast” People’s Choice Shannon Harris

“The Geographic Distribution and Life History of the Crawfish, Procambarus machardyi.” Finalist Elizabeth Cockerham “Identification of FC101 interacting proteins in breast and bladder cancer cells.” Pictured: Shannon Harris and Dr. Sanjay Menon

2nd Annual LSUS Christmas Tree Lighting The lights will be officially turned on, Thursday, December 1 at 6:00 p.m. As with the event last year, we will be accompanied by songs of the season as well as the opportunity for pictures with Santa.

International Day for Tolerance In honor of International Day for Tolerance, Counseling Services sponsored an event promoting LSU Shreveport’s guiding principles of tolerance, dignity, and acceptance of differences. Guest speaker Barbara Jarrell, Minister from All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church of Shreveport, facilitated an enlightening conversation investigating the value of diversity in our lives. Students

discussed some of their own experiences, and acknowledged anxieties amid the current cultural climate. Having this open discussion in a place of safety and respect fostered an increased awareness, helping those in attendance learn how to change behaviors, avoid reinforcing stereotypes and biases, and find value in others’ differences. Much gratitude to Barbara Jarrell and students, faculty, and staff who showed up for this important dialogue. LSUS School Psychology Program Presents Research at State Conference In early November, 13 graduate students in the Specialist in School Psychology Program at LSU Shreveport attended a three-day conference for the Louisiana School Psychological Association held in Lafayette. Dr.

Kevin Jones and five graduate students presented their research during a student poster symposium. Abbie Reynolds presented her evaluation of a phonemic awareness training program for children with severe reading disabilities, conducted in Caddo Parish. Daina Lewis and Melissa Seaman presented outcomes for 20 Caddo Parish children enrolled in an afterschool tutoring clinic (School of R.O.C.K.) on the LSUS campus. Celesta McGrew and Madison Shuey earned “Best Presentation” honors for their study investigating the

stability of children’s achievement motivation. Dr. Katherine Wickstrom moderated a research symposium on a school-wide positive behavior support system currently being implemented in several Louisiana parishes. The final day of the conference included an inaugural Student Strand session, facilitated by Dr. Wickstrom and other university faculty in the state. This session focused on assisting students with graduate school survival tips and preparing them for the final year of internship training. Photo 1: LSUS faculty and graduate students pose for a group photo with the luncheon keynote speaker, Governor John Bel Edwards, at the 2016 LSPA annual conference.

Photo 2: LSUS School Psychology graduate student, Abbie Reynolds (Caddo Parish intern), presents research at the 2016 LSPA conference poster symposium. Photo 3: LSUS School Psychology graduate student, Celesta McGrew (Lincoln Parish intern), presents research at the 2016 LSPA conference poster symposium. Celesta and her co-presenter, Madison Shuey, earned “best presentation” honors.

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LSUS Supports International Students Faculty and staff dressed in international attire last week to show support for international understanding and appreciation. #LSUS #InternationalEducationWeek #Education #International

New hires 1) Brittany Roberson Financial Aid Counselor 2) James Dicken Director of Athletic Events and Operations 3) Amanda Felan Director of Advancement Services and Scholarship Relations 4) Kim Ramsey Assistant to the Chancellor Internal Promotion / Transfer A’issa Fowler, Admin Asst 2 in Kinesiology, has been selected as the Data Management Coordinator in the Office of Admissions and Records. Retirement Leonard Bonnette Police Officer 2A

The LSUS Athletics department would like to wish everyone a HAPPY THANKSGIVING! This week our basketball teams have a full slate of games, but unfortunately they will be on the road. They will return home to The Dock next week as the men host Tougaloo on Monday (Nov. 28), and the women will host Louisiana College Tuesday (Nov. 29) at 5:30 p.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL: The Pilots (4-0) look to remain unbeaten but face some tough games this week. TODAY they travel to Tougaloo College (3-2) (Tougaloo, Miss.) for a 7:30 p.m. tip. FRIDAY the Pilots will take on Saint Gregory’s (3-2) in Shawnee, Okla. at 8 p.m. and SATURDAY they will face no. 18 Oklahoma City (3-0) at 3 p.m., also in Shawnee.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: The Pilots (1-4) look to get back in the win column tonight as they are on the road at Tougaloo College (1-1) at 5:30 p.m. THURSDAY at 7 p.m. the Pilots will take on Xavier in the Xavier Classic and on FRIDAY at 1 p.m. they will face Dillard, also in the Xavier Classic.

WEEKLY CALENDAR

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

21

WBB at TOU 5:30 p.m.

MBB at TOU 7:30 p.m.

22 23 24

WBB at XAV 7 p.m.

25 WBB at DU

1 p.m.

MBB at STG 8 p.m.

26

MBB at OCU 3 p.m.

27

1. Congratulations, Brian Sherman. I was pleased to approve the recommendation of Provost/VCAA John Vassar that Brian Sherman become the Dean of the James S. Noel Memorial Library. Brian brings great energy, passion and knowledge to his new position. We are fortunate to have a beautiful library facility. However, what is even more noteworthy is the quality and dedication of the professional team serving Noel users. Thank you. Best wishes, Brian.

2. Passing of Virginia Simons. We have learned that Virginia Simons, known as Virginia Lincove when she began at LSUS, passed away earlier today. Virginia was terrific in her role

as Associate Vice Chancellor for Sponsored Research in helping LSUS programs and faculty to secure external and state grants. Virginia was great in finding grant opportunities, helping to build effective grant teams, shaping grant goals and delivering on grant expectations.

3. Student Research/3MT Competition. Congratulations to the LSUS students who

participated in the inaugural 3MT Competition at LSUS, Amanda Lewis, Interim Director of Sponsored Research and Technology Transfer, who oversaw the competition, and judges Beverly Burden, Iris Johnson, and Brooke Rinaudo. The 3MT Competition is as the name indicates: essentially a three-minute elevator speech by a student concerning his/her research. This takes great focus, skill and practice to execute.

4. LSUS Champions of Character. This past Wednesday LSUS hosted our first ever Champions

of Character basketball game as part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) program to embrace and share the Core Values of respect, integrity, responsibility, servant leadership, and sportsmanship with K-12 students. We had a flock of yellow school busses on campus with nearly 1,000 K-12 students in attendance. We won a high scoring game 103-90. More impressive was the presentations by Coach Kyle Blankenship and representative of our student athletes speaking to the core values during half-time of the game. Congratulations to Coach Kyle, AD Lucas Morgan and our student athlete speakers. You all inspired the students (and me).

5. CSRA. Last week CSRA had the ribbon cutting for their

incredible new Integrated Technology Center. Prominent in the celebration were two LSUS alums: Craig Spohn, head of the Cyber Innovation Center, and Ashley Rockett, Director of Operations (Head) of the new CSRA Center. LSUS is committed to working with CSRA in support of their goal to have over 800 employees, mostly high tech positions, working at the ITC. We expect many of these employees to be LSUS graduates, especially from our Computer Science programs.

6. GOLA Coffee Shop. A great addition to our LSUS campus this fall is the GOLA Coffee Shop located in the Baptist Collegiate Ministry Building at our north entrance off King’s

Highway. Check it out. It is a “for real” coffee shop open to the public, including walkers from nearby The Haven subdivision. A second coffee shop will be available for the campus when the Student Success Center opens in the Noel Memorial Library Building.

7. Budget. The state legislature has requested that Governor John Bel Edwards delay

imposing budget cuts for at least another month while the state attempts to get a better handle on the actual deficit from last fiscal year and the level of deficit of this fiscal year. This past week legislative leaders spoke of how Louisiana continues to be in a recession, primarily because of oil and gas prices again declining and business uncertainty over future taxes. This said, we need to continue to assure our students that LSUS will make it through whatever budget cuts that may come without jeopardizing their classes for this spring.