AA April Email Newsletter featuring Eman Bader

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION APRIL 2021
NEWSLETTER

Connecting the past, present, and future
 for a stronger LSUS

IN THIS ISSUE Eman Bader, MBA '16 , BS '14
Data Analyst
DR. SAM CANNON MultiView
APRIL 2021 FEATURED
ALUMNUS ON CAMPUS April 2021 Featured Alumna

AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT
2020 CIRCLE OF EXCELLENCE
HONOREE DR. PAUL RUSHING
AND LOYALTY AWARD
RECIPIENT DR. AL MCKINNEY

LSU SHREVEPORT RANKED #3
IN LOUISIANA IN GRADUATE
SALARY SCORE FOR 2021

LSUS ATHLETICS WOMEN'S
AND MEN'S BASKETBALL
NAMED TO ALL AMERICAN
HONORS

SUMMER CAMPS ARE BACK!

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION APRIL 2021
NEWSLETTER
Eman Bader, MBA '16 and BS '14, is a Data Analyst at
MultiView. She manages the advertising delivery
for B2B clients across various digital platforms
online. She sets up digital marketing campaigns,
develops the right target audience who is most
likely to engage with the ad content, and she
optimizes delivery based on performance to
increase likelihood of obtaining more clients and
ultimately more sales. While obtaining her MBA,
Eman started an internship at a marketing agency
in Shreveport. She moved to Dallas when she
graduated, and through connections, she was able
to get a full-time position in their Dallas office.

Eman worked there for two years before leaving. A colleague who used to work in the Dallas office
introduced her to the manager of her current position at MultiView. She has been there for three and a
half years, and she loves it!

When asked how she chose LSUS, she said, "I grew up in Shreveport & LSUS offered a great scholarship
and the convenience of being able to live at home and get an affordable education." Her fondest
memories of LSUS come from hanging out in the UC before and after classes with friends, marketing
club events, and being on campus for Halloween festivities! She also said that the entire School of
Business department and faculty helped her whenever she needed and guided her throughout her
college education.

When Eman graduated high school, she had no idea what she wanted to do in life nor how to go about
getting there. LSUS helped her figure out the path she wanted to take and gave her the tools necessary
to get where she needed to go. When asked what advice she would give to college students, she
responded with, "Ask the questions, build connections, learn all that you can! The only thing worse than
not knowing something is not doing your part to change it - so ASK and find the people who can give you
the information you need. When it comes to picking a major, there's no science to it - just try out what
you're best at, and see what you can do throughout your life."

Eman also had advice for anyone who wants to enter Marketing. "Marketing is no longer what it was
when I got my degree, and it's nothing like it was before the pandemic - long story short, you have to
change, learn, and CONSTANTLY innovate in this field. It's a challenge, but definitely one worth investing
in!"

Speaking of challenges, Eman said she had some in her professional life. "Since the pandemic, we've
transitioned temporarily to a work-from-home setup. It's tempting to stay signed in and work through
the evening, and it became increasingly difficult to unplug and step away when the workday is over. I
have grown to make a conscious effort to do what I can to walk away from the computer and keep myself
from work after "clocking out."

One of her proudest accomplishments was when she won Best Hair in high school! "I wear a hijab, so no
one actually knows what my hair looks like, but I managed to convince my senior class to vote for me
anyway!"

We asked Eman what something she has learned from this life is, and she said, "It's unpredictable, it
changes on the daily, it's tough! You have to assume nothing can be assumed, and you just have to roll
with it! Have fun and make the best of what you've been given!" If she had all the time in the world, she
would be traveling the world and trying out all the new and unique experiences each place has to offer.

Eman truly reflects what it means to be ANCHORED ALUMNA.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION APRIL 2021
NEWSLETTER

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION APRIL 2021
NEWSLETTER

Dr. Sam Cannon, BA '08

Professor of Spanish
Humanities Department

Featured Alumnus on Campus

Born, raised, and home-schooled in Shreveport, Sam
Cannon enrolled at LSUS in 2005 after spending two
years living abroad in Mexico. Sam originally planned to
study Art History but soon realized he could test-out of
many Spanish classes and accelerate his path to
graduation. As a Spanish major, he was mentored by Dr.
Lynn Walford, Lillian Bruce Moskeland, and Cecilia
Smith. Under Dr. Walford’s direction, Sam found a
passion for the study of Latin American and Spanish
literature and film, and in 2008 he presented his
undergraduate research project on “Film, Freemasonry,
and the Spanish Civil.” Dr. Walford and Dr. John Vassar
encouraged him to use this project as a writing sample
for his graduate school applications. After completing
his BA in Spanish in 2008, Sam pursued a master’s
degree in Hispanic American Literature at the University
of Arkansas.

During his time at the University of Arkansas, Sam began to study Mexican comic books, or historietas, and how they
depict situations of crime and justice. This topic became the focus of his research during his doctoral studies at the
University of Texas at Austin, and in 2017 he successfully defended his dissertation and accepted the position of
Assistant Professor of Spanish at LSUS. It just so happened that his mentor, Dr. Walford, was retiring the same year that
Sam finished his Ph.D.!

Since returning to campus as an alumnus, Dr. Cannon has developed new Latin American detective literature courses,
Latin American comics, and graphic novels. In Fall 2021, he will offer a course on visual storytelling's narrative structure
for English and Art majors. Dr. Cannon’s research on Chilean comics has led him to organize international panel
discussions for the Comic Arts Conference at San Diego Comic-Con International. His San Diego Comic-Con
International panels include: “Latin American Comic Arts: Dialogues and Perspectives from Chilean Artists and Critics”,
“The Blackout Generation: The Implications of Chile’s Military Dictatorship on Contemporary Comic Production”, “Queer
Latin American Identities and Comics: A Conversation with LGBTQ Comic Creators from Latin America”, and “Comics,
Cosplay, and Political Protest: A Bilingual Conversation with Artists and Scholars about Chile’s Current Political Crisis.”
These panels brought his work to the attention of the Chilean government. In 2018, he was invited by the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and ProChile to fly to South America and evaluate Chile’s comic market's international publication
potential. In 2019, the Chilean government presented Dr. Cannon with a gift of some 30 recently published comics and
graphic novels as a donation to the Noel Library and as a way of showing their appreciation for his work in the field of
Chilean art and culture. Even during the pandemic, Dr. Cannon has continued to participate in national and international
discussions on how comics depict political and economic realities.

In 2020, Dr. Cannon was invited by ProChile to discuss LGBTQ+ comics and feminist protest movements with the artist
Melina Rapimán as a special international guest of the Aguacero Comic Festival. Likewise, he offered an invited lecture
to students and faculty of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Kansas State University as part of an event
discussing dictatorships, indigenous peoples, and constitutional reform. Dr. Cannon’s recent publications can be read in
The International Journal of Comic Arts and The Routledge Companion to Gender and Sexuality in Comic Book Studies.

Dr. Cannon is excited to be back in Shreveport working with local and international students because his time at LSUS
gave him the foundation to pursue his unconventional academic career. He is confident that he would not have found his
path into higher education without the mentors and intellectual foundation he received at LSUS. He hopes to work
closely with students at LSUS and mentor them to find their own passions and ways to pursue them.

LSUS is lucky to have Dr. Sam Cannon in the classroom and setting an example for future alum as an ANCHORED
ALUMNI.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION APRIL 2021
NEWSLETTER

IN MEMORIAM

Nicki McLain

Lura Nicole “Nicki” Perkins McLain joined the flight with the hummingbirds on
March 18, 2021. There to welcome her with loving arms was her father, Winston
“Tony” Perkins. Left to cherish sweet memories is her mother, Judith “Judy” Perkins,
brother Randy Perkins, husband Jason McLain, children Miranda and Ryan LaFitte
and Ashford and Logan McLain, fur-babies: Chico, Max, Thor, and Vic, numerous
aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.

Nicki earned her bachelor’s degree in 1994 and her MBA in 1999, both from LSUS. She
began working at LSUS as a student worker in 1992 and joined her work family,
Accounting Services, full time as an Accountant in 1994 . Over the years she was
promoted several times, worked in IT, and eventually retired from LSUS as an
Associate Director in January 2021.

She joined All Souls Unitarian Church in 2014 where she found a family that aligned
with her spiritual beliefs, her desire for acceptance of all, and her passion to share
the notion that we can co-exist, that we all deserve to love and to be loved.

Nicki was loved and admired by all who knew her. Her outlook was always a positive
one. She was a pillar of strength, a warrior, in her fight against metastatic triple
negative breast cancer. She was a kind, warm, thoughtful, loving person who could
lighten up the room with her optimism, big smile, and infectious laughter. She loved
her family and friends with everything she had.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SEPTEMBER 2020 | ISSUE 2 APRIL 2021
NEWSLETTER

DR. PAUL RUSHING

CHRISTUS Health Shreveport-Bossier
Bachelor of Science 1992

2020

CIRCLE OF
EXCELLENCE

HONOREE

Dr. Paul Rushing is a Doctor of Internal Medicine at CHRISTUS Health Shreveport-Bossier.
He graduated from LSUS with a Bachelor of Science in 1992. He graduated from Louisiana
State University School of Medicine in Shreveport medical school in 1994 and the University
of Arkansas for Medical Sciences for his residency, completing his residency in in 1997.

Some of Paul's awards and recognitions include:
CMS Meaningful Use Stage 1 Certification (NextGen Ambulatory EHR, NextGen
Healthcare, 2012-2013)
Diabetes Care Recognition (Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute)

Notable publications and presentations include:
Consumption of a high-fat diet alters the homeostatic regulation of energy balance
Central amylin signaling and the regulation of energy homeostasis
A controlled high-fat diet induces an obese syndrome in rats

Paul married Theresa Mathis Rushing after they met at LSUS.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SEPTEMBER 2020 | ISSUE 2 APRIL 2021
NEWSLETTER

DR. ALFRED MCKINNEY

LSU Shreveport Retired Professor and Dean of College of Science

Awarded Posthumously

2020

LOYALTY
LEADERSHIP
RECIPIENT

In 1974, Dr. Alfred McKinney accepted a positions as the Associate Professor of Computer Science and
Mathematics at LSUS. Throughout his career at LSUS, he served in many capacities including the Director of
Academic and Administrative Computing, Professor and Chair of Computer Science, Director of the Master’s
Program in Systems Technology, and Dean of College of Sciences. During his academic career, he underwent a
sabbatical from LSUS to study Computer Graphics, Artificial Intelligence, and Expert Systems at the University
of Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington.

After his retirement from LSUS, he became the Allen Harvey Broyles Professor of Computational Mathematics
at Centenary College in Shreveport. In addition, he served as the visiting Professor of Computer Science at
Taylor University in Upland, Indiana teaching a number of Computer Science courses, including Simulation
Modeling, Artificial Intelligence, and Database Management. His most recent position included Interim Chair of
Computer Science and Director of the MSCST Program at LSUS, until he finally retired in May of 2020.

He had a heart for research, which led to writing and publishing papers in many professional journals. He
presented numerous professional papers and presentations at various conferences throughout the country. He
was committed to curriculum improvement, working on investigating, revisioning, and updating the Computer
Science curriculum. He also advocated for education improvement through his grant proposals, which resulted
in funds invested in Computer Science programs. He also belonged to a variety of scientific and professional
societies.

His honors and awards include induction into the Phi Kappa Phi and Omicron Delta Kappa national honor and
leadership societies, the Outstanding LSUS Faculty Award for Teaching, AITP Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards,
the Outstanding Chair Award from the Computer Science Departmental faculty, the Certified Computer
Professional and Former President of Pi Mu Epsilon Honorary Math Society and Former President of Alpha
Guard at LSUS, as well as "Al McKinney" day on the KDAQ radio station.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION APRIL 2021
NEWSLETTER

SAVE THE

DATE

05 04 21

One day. One donation.
A lifetime of impact.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SEPTEMBER 2020 | ISSUE 2 APRIL 2021
NEWSLETTER

LSU SHREVEPORT RANKED #3 IN LOUISIANA IN GRADUATE SALARY
SCORE FOR 2021

LSU Shreveport has been ranked No.3 in the 2021 ranking of Best Colleges for a Bachelor's Degree in Louisiana
based on Salary Score, published by GradReports.com. Salary Score is based on a comparison of alumni salaries
across the same programs at statewide and nationwide universities that is also weighted by student enrollment
in each program.

The data used by GradReports.com is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and
reflects median alumni earnings in the first year after graduation for students who received federal financial aid.
Detail on the methodology can be found here.

The ranking puts LSUS at the top spot for colleges and universities in Northwest Louisiana, with Tulane
University at #1 and LSU Baton Rouge at #2 in the state.

"We are thrilled to have this ranking within the state, as it affirms our commitment to providing our graduates
with an outcome-focused academic career at LSUS," said Helen Taylor, Provost and Vice Chancellor for
Academic Affairs at LSUS. "Our goal is make sure our graduates have the tools they need to enter and thrive in
the 21st century workforce. Students today, particularly Generation Z, are concerned not only with the process
of earning a degree, but also with how that degree sets them up for future success."

The university offers a variety of face-to-face, online, and hybrid class options for traditional and non-
traditional students alike. Those interested in attending can visit the campus and learn about program offerings
by scheduling an individualized tour with the Office of Admissions at visit.lsus.edu.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SEPTEMBER 2020 | ISSUE 2 APRIL 2021
NEWSLETTER

LSUS HISTORY PROFESSOR’S MILITARY HISTORY BOOK RECEIVES
DISTINGUISHED BOOK AWARD

The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History, by LSU Shreveport History Professor Dr. Alexander Mikaberidze, was
honored with the 2021 Distinguished Book Award for Non-American History by the Society for Military History
(SMH) Distinguished Book Awards. Dr. Mikaberidze will officially receive the honor in a special presentation at
the annual SMH meeting in May 2021 in Norfolk, Virginia.

The prestigious award also includes $1,000 prize for the author. SMH is one of the premier historical
organizations uniting professional historians and devoted to stimulating and advancing the study of military
history. Its membership of more than 2,700 includes many of the world's most prominent scholars, soldiers, and
citizens interested in military history.

“The Distinguished Book Award (DBA) is one of the top awards in the field of military history and being
recognized by a jury of your peers is truly remarkable,” Mikaberidze said. “I did not expect to win because last
year saw the publication of so many great works of military history. So, I am overjoyed and look forward to
attending the SMH conference in May.”

The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History was published in February 2020 and is one of several books Mikaberidze
has penned on the topic.

“I have been fascinated with the Napoleonic era since my early childhood,” Mikaberidze said. “As I got older, I
decided to study it professionally, and over the past two decades I have written and edited almost two dozen
books on this subject. I already felt that the existing literature was too focused on Napoleon and on events in
Europe, so I knew that the Napoleonic Wars had ramifications far beyond the European borders and decided to
write a book showcasing what a profound impact this period had on the world. It took me ten years to do it but
it was well worth it.”

Readers can expect to find a fresh perspective on the Napoleonic era and its impact on national history.
Mikaberidze argues that the Napoleonic Wars can only be fully understood from an international perspective.
Taking specific regions in turn, he discusses major political-military events around the world and situates
geopolitical decision-making within its long- and short-term contexts. The book narrates the global history of
the period, one that expands the view of the Napoleonic Wars and their role in laying the foundations of the
modern world.

“My hope is that the readers will gain a better appreciation of the scope of the war that we can call a ‘world
war’”, Mikaberidze said. “In its scale, intensity and duration, this conflict dwarfed previous wars and remains one
of the largest military endeavors in history. It shaped the history of not just Europe but North and South
America, Middle East and Asia. Equally important, I think, is the broader lesson of breaking out of existing
frameworks and casting a fresh look at existing historical narrative. This work is a call for more international and
comparative approach to history.”

In addition to his service as a history professor, Mikaberidze also serves as the Ruth Herring Noel Endowed
Chair for the Curatorship of the James Smith Noel Collection, one of the largest collections of antiquarian books
and print in North America.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SEPTEMBER 2020 | ISSUE 2 APRIL 2021
NEWSLETTER

LSUS STUDENTS ADMINISTER COVID-19 VACCINE AT STATE
FAIRGROUNDS

The LSU Shreveport Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) students have joined a team of healthcare
workers at the Louisiana State Fairgrounds to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to area residents.
Not only are the students gaining experience administering vaccines, they are helping the
community during the pandemic.

Andrea Marlow, an LSUS LPN student, says, “Working alongside medical students, nurses, and the
National Guard is awesome. The type of collaboration in this program is top-notch! Being out there
helping is a humbling and wonderful experience.”

A lot of people are taking advantage of the vaccine stations, but the lines move quickly with
volunteers helping. The students not only administer vaccines, they also monitor patients for fifteen
minutes after their injections, direct traffic, and keep the lines flowing.

Hearing stories of patients coming through their vaccine lines, including those undergoing
chemotherapy, gives the LPN students a sense of just how vital their service is to others. Some of
the LPN students report that they’ve kept a personal record of how many vaccines they’ve
administered, but as the lines became busy and they began connecting with those receiving the
vaccine, they lost count of their totals.

Monica Jones, the LPN Director at LSU Shreveport, says this is an opportunity of a lifetime for the
students. “Not only do they gain knowledge and skill, they get to be a part of something major for
the community.”
LSUS LPN student, Jayda Ross, says she is really enjoying the experience—especially because she
loves working with elderly patients.

“I look at the patients like they’re my own grandparents and treat them how I would want my
grandparents to be treated.”

As the students reflect on the COVID-19 pandemic, they will likely tell their children and
grandchildren about administering vaccines to the community in years to come. At the end of the
day, their experience is what the LSUS LPN program is all about; learning skills to help those in need
while being part of a larger, life-changing calling in healthcare.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SEPTEMBER 2020 | ISSUE 2 APRIL 2021
NEWSLETTER

LSUS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL STAR FU'TRA BANKS HAS BEEN
NAMED TO THE NAIA ALL-AMERICAN TEAM!

BY LSUS ATHLETICS

LSUS Women's Basketball star Fu'tra Banks has been named as an NAIA All-American.
Banks was the Pilots most conistent player again this season as she scored nearly 20
points per contest. The Senior showcased her efficiency scoring on over half of her
baskets attempted. Fu continued to be an elite rebounder for the Pilots pulling down 8.6
boards per game.

Banks led the Pilots to a 16-2 record on the season and the RRAC regular season and
conference championships.

LSUS BASKETBALL PICKS UP TWO MORE ACCOLADES AS
KADAVION EVANS (FIRST TEAM) AND LEONDRE WASHINGTON
(THIRD TEAM) WERE SELECTED AS NAIA ALL-AMERICANS

KADAVION EVANS - FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICAN is back on the All-American list, this
time as a First Team selection. KD was one of four unanimous picks for the top team.
Evans, the RRAC Player of the Year, averaged just below 20 points per game while leading
the Red River in assists with 62. He added 34 steals on the season as he helped lead LSUS
to a 16-2 record and both the RRAC regular season and tournament championships.
Evans pulled down nearly seven rebounds per game on his was to being named an All-
American once again.

LEONDRE WASHINGTON - THIRD TEAM ALL-AMERICAN came to the Pilots and was an
immediate leader in year one. He led the Pilots in scoring at over 20 points per game and
in three-pointers made with 37 on the season. Jelly was tremendous at creating contact
and generating free throw attempts as he led the PIlots with 147 attempts while making
81% from the stripe. Washington was strong on the defensive end also, coming up with 24
steals on the season.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SEPTEMBER 2020 | ISSUE 2 APRIL 2021
NEWSLETTER

Greetings from the LSU Shreveport!

With summer internship season approaching, we are excited to share a two-part webcast series to
assist you in preparing for your internship program in a fully virtual or “hybrid” environment!

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Robert Shindell, President & CEO of Intern Bridge, the nation’s
premier internship research and consulting firm, on April 7 and 9 at 10:30 AM CST for Creating &
Delivering an Amazing Virtual Internship Program!

APRIL 7, 2021 - Delivering an Amazing Virtual Internship Experience. This 90-minute webcast has
been specifically designed to help you and your organization create and deliver a best-in-class
virtual (or hybrid) internship program.

APRIL 9, 2021 - PART 2 will focus on how supervisors can deliver an exceptional experience.We have
underwritten the webcast series so that the cost to attend has been reduced to $99 for “For-Profits”
and $79 for non-profits and Government entities. Each of these sessions are also SHRM-PDC and
HRCI accredited and by attending you will earn three (3) hours of continuing education credits.

Check out what another participant had to say about this webcast:
“Prior to attending this webcast, I was asking myself “How in the world are we going to do a virtual
internship?” At the end of the session, I was much more confident that we can do it using your tools
and advice on how to approach it. Thank you very much and I look forward to attending many more
of your sessions!”
- Judi Giordano, New York Life YOU CAN ALSO EARN A 10% DISCOUNT

As a thank you for attending the webcast series, we will offer 10% off your registration fees to
participate in Career Connections, LSU Shreveport’s virtual networking and interviewing event
slated to take place on April 21 from 10 AM – 1 PM CST. Leverage your knowledge from this event to
build authentic connections with prospective interns. Please visit https://internbridge.com/lsus-
spring-2021 to register.

We look forward to seeing you on April 7 and 9 for this very special webseries! Even if you cannot
join us live you'll receive a recording along with all of the resources discussed by Dr. Shindell!

So long for now,
Jennie Flynn-McKevitt
Director of Career Services at LSU Shreveport

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SEPTEMBER 2020 | ISSUE 2 APRIL 2021
NEWSLETTER

SUMMER CAMPS
ARE BACK!