Lagniappe

Breanna Cross, a Lake Charles engineering major, is one of 10 Louisiana university recipients awarded a $1,000 scholarship by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD).  The scholarships are given to talented civil engineering juniors and seniors with an interest in the transportation field who will bring their dedication to pursuing their career goals…

Master of Fine Arts student Gauri Awasthi is receiving valuable hands-on writing experience through a two-week residency at the prestigious Sundress Academy for the Arts (SAFTA) at Firefly Farms, a 45-acre working farm outside of Knoxville, Tennessee. From Kanpur, India, Gauri is the second McNeese student to receive a SAFTA residency, which regularly hosts well-known…

Jeff Wainwright, a 2000 health and human performance graduate, has been named Class 1A Coach of the Year by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. This season Jeff led the Grand Lake Hornets to an 8-2 overall season and a state championship appearance. This was the first time the team advanced beyond the regional round. Jeff…

Shreewan Rupakheti, a 2019 engineering graduate and current master’s degree student, is conducting research on the environmental effects of concrete deterioration. It’s widely understood that changes in temperature cause concrete degradation, but Shreewan hopes to provide quantified data that could improve and increase the longevity of outdoor concrete design. As part of his research, Shreewan,…

Dr. Loren Blanchard, a 1986 Master of Education graduate, will serve as the next President of the University of Houston-Downtown.  He is currently the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs at California State University, the largest and most diverse higher education system in the United States. In this capacity, Dr. Blanchard develops and…

Several McNeese alumni, faculty and staff were recognized for their contributions to the arts in Southwest Louisiana at the 2020 Mayor’s Arts Awards. Artist of the Year went to 2008 art graduate Morgan Allain, who creates custom pieces for donations to area community organizations.The Black Heritage Gallery was selected as the Arts Organization of the…

Brandon Dever, a 1999 criminal justice graduate, has been elected as the new Marshal for the City of Sulphur. Brandon previously served as a patrol officer and detective with the Sulphur Police Department. He was Rookie of the Year in 2001 and is a Medal of Merit and Valor recipient.

Dr. Tari Dilks, Professor of Nursing, is the first member of the McNeese nursing faculty to be inducted into theLouisiana State Nurses Association Hall of Fame. Ecoee Rooney, LSNA President, recently presented her with this prestigious award. Dr. Dilks is the immediate Past President of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association and currently serves as an…

Radiologic sciences graduates have once again scored a perfect 100% passage rate on the 2020 national certification examination in radiography. McNeese students have held a 97% first-time passage rate on the national exam since the radiologic sciences program started in 1978. The radiologic sciences program has been nationally accredited since 1979 and is one of…

McNeese’s engineering program is ranked among the Top 25 public and private institutions in the nation for salary potential for its engineering majors by the 2020-2021 College Salary Report by PayScale.Com. McNeese is the only Louisiana engineering program that is listed in the Top 25 ranking. PayScale.Com is the world’s leading provider of on-demand compensation…