A Newsletter for Alumni, Students, and Friends of the LSU Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College

Quadrille

“It’s our time”An Interview with Roger Ogden

In December 2014, New Orleans developer and philanthropist Roger Houston Ogden made a transformative $12 million gift to the LSU Honors College, which has been renamed the Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College in honor of Mr. Ogden’s father and son, who share the name.

We sat down with Mr. Ogden in his home in the Uptown neighborhood of New Orleans to discuss the motivation behind his gift, his formative undergraduate experience at LSU,

and his hopes for the future of the Ogden Honors College.

Of all the things that you could choose to support—and I know you support a lot of different entities in Louisiana—what made you choose to support the LSU Honors College? My generation, the baby boomers, we’re getting into the retirement years (although I’ll never fully retire) and you begin to look at: what can we leave behind? How can we have the greatest effect on the good of the state? I believe that Louisiana is naturally endowed with such incredible possibilities: our natural resources, our geographic position at the center of the South and on the Mississippi River, and probably the greatest asset we have is the diversity of our people. We’re this great big gumbo that really looks like what the country is coming to look like as a whole. So we have all this potential that we have never quite been able to harness, and to do that, I think we should start with your basic ingredient, and that’s people, educated people. Front and center: LSU and the Honors College. It boils down to answering the question of how can Louisiana do two things: first, keep our best and brightest in Louisiana; and second, attract the best and brightest from other states? Instead of a brain drain that we’ve had for decades and decades, how do we bring about a brain gain? We simply must keep our best and brightest in the state. And the best possibility to do that for the good of the state is for LSU to offer an Ivy League-quality of education, a residential col-lege with all of the lagniappe (to use a quintessential Louisiana term) of the collegiate experience. No one can equal LSU when it comes to that collegiate experience.

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From the Desk of Dean Earle

Wish you could hear from Dean Earle every day?

You can! Follow him on Twitter @LSUOgdenDean

And follow the #OgdenHonors College

on Instagram @LSU_Honorson Twitter @LSU_Honors

on Facebook /LSUHonorsCollege

What an amazing year to begin the Deanship at the Ogden Honors College! Our students continued to achieve at the absolute highest level, winning international fellowships, discovering ingenious solutions to vexing academic questions, and performing important service in our communities. The French House is finally in the midst of a $5 million interior renovation, which will bring our dusty 80-year-old gem gleaming into the 21st century as a state-of-the-art nexus for Honors education. Finally, the Roger H. Ogden family made a transformative gift that literally changed both the College’s name and trajectory. I have no doubt whatsoever that the Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College will be instrumental in elevating LSU’s and Louisiana’s reputation on the national and global stage. All this in one academic year!

I hope you enjoy this inaugural issue of Quadrille—our way to keep in closer touch with Ogden Honors College alumni, friends, and supporters far and wide. It’s named for the dance first made fashionable in the court of the French king Louis XIV, which spread across the globe to European colonies, where communities like the Acadians in Louisiana made it their own. In the 1930s, when the French House was still a language immersion dorm, quadrilles were regularly performed in the Grand Salon. I’m pretty sure no other collegiate newsletter in the country is named for a courtly dance now associated with fiddles, spoons, and scrub-boards!

This version features a Q & A with our benefactor Roger Ogden, who shares why he decided to bestow the College with the second-largest endowed gift in LSU’s history; an interview with Ogden Honors junior and political science major Michael Beyer, who won a coveted Truman Scholarship for his service and work with Louisiana’s LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning) community.

We also want you to “save the dates” for two exciting events coming up later in 2015: our annual Honors Convocation on September 2, featuring “Shared Read” New Orleans author Michael Pitre, and our first-ever Ogden Honors College Homecoming Tailgate, which will be held in the courtyard of our temporary home, Johnston Hall, on October 24.

Finally, I want to take a few lines to reflect on the impact our wonderful students have had on me. Moving to Baton Rouge and LSU after 16 years at the University of Kansas was a difficult transition, but our passionate, inquisitive, and exceptional students have made it all worthwhile. I can’t wait to see our fabulous incoming class of 2019 arrive this August.

Jonathan EarleRoger Hadfield Ogden Dean

Dean Earle and Associate Dean Granger Babcock help move a new Ogden Honors College student into Laville Honors House last fall.

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There are just so many great things that happen across LSU’s campus: a huge amount of extracurricular activities, the music school, the drama school, not to mention athletics. So if we have the academics of a Duke or a Stanford or a Princeton, and we can combine that with the collegiate experience of a flagship university, especially one with as beautiful a campus as LSU, we’ve got a combination that really resonates with folks, and they want to be a part of it.Was there something about your own experience as an LSU student that has kept you so involved over the years as an alumnus, or that deepened your desire to invest in Louisiana? Well, I’m an example of what I’m talking about, although there wasn’t an Honors College at LSU when I was an undergraduate. When I got to LSU, I really thought I had died and gone to heaven. LSU was diverse—I had chosen a university that didn’t all look just like me. I chose a fraternity that certainly didn’t look all like me. Back in those days, you were admitted to LSU with a diploma from a Louisiana high school, and you could go for a total tuition of less than $1,000. It was the Huey Long populist model, which really had an incredible benefit to LSU and to the state over the years. When we would travel to Oxford for LSU-Ole Miss games, the Ole Miss students were prepped up, and they all looked exactly alike. There was not a dime’s worth of difference between them. And then there would be the LSU students, and we were everything under the sun. From my fraternity brother Jason, who went around barefoot—he only had one pair of shoes, and he saved those for Mass on Sundays—to guys in suits and ties. Studying at LSU, I came to understand to an even greater extent the diversity of the state, from its original founding and how it had developed over time, and I was naturally very drawn to that. It just broadened me as a human being. It caused me to understand the value of diversity to a society, and it enhanced my ability to respect and value those who are different than me. So I knew I was going to stay in Louisiana and work to help take our state to greater heights. When I graduated from LSU I went to Tulane for law school, which brought me to New Orleans, and I fell in love with the city. I also saw the great distinction between a private, relatively small university and a flagship public university. It was great to have both experiences. I had a lot of things happen in my life at that time. After my first year in law school, I went to basic training in the army at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Shortly after returning to New Orleans, my father unexpectedly died of an aneurysm at age 49. So I was helping my mom through that. I was married. We lost a baby. You name it, everything that could happen to a youngster in grad school happened, and yet, I ended up graduating number five in my class. The underlying reason was that I was prepared, coming from LSU. The LSU education, the public education, is so much more rigorous than a private university or college education. It’s rigorous because there’s a lot more competition going on. There’s no coddling. Of course, you can go an easier curriculum route, or a tougher curriculum at LSU, as is the case at any university, public or private. But anyway, that’s how my own LSU experience stacked up academically. The Ogden Honors College bridges that. If you want the extra attention, you’re going to get that at the Ogden Honors College. You do not gain acceptance to the Ogden Honors College unless you have the brainpower. So we want to challenge you and enhance your academic prowess. But you still have the all-hands-on-deck competitive environment of LSU, plus a diverse student body with people from all different walks of life. The result is you get the benefit of both types of education. It’s a great way of winnowing LSU down to something that you can get your arms around, and then expand and take in all the other aspects of campus life. My fraternity experience was not unlike the Ogden Honors College in that it was sort of like finding a primary home within all of the greatness of LSU.

(cont. from front cover)An Interview with Roger Ogden

Ogden Honors senior and 2014 Olmsted Scholar Erin Percevault, Dean Earle, Ogden Honors junior Kurt Ristroph, and LSU President & Chancellor F. King Alexander applaud the unveiling of our new logo at the naming gift ceremony in the French House on December 12, 2014.

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So in your vision, how would the Ogden Honors College help to harness some of that Louisiana potential? What do you hope Honors students get from their experience at LSU? I think what the Ogden Honors College can do is offer such a fantastic undergraduate experience that it opens the eyes of undergrads to the possibilities of the state. Our undergraduate experience is so formative. It infects us, doesn’t it? The statistics verify that if you attract a student into your state for their undergraduate education, that greatly enhances the possibility of keeping that graduate in your state. For the talent that is

already in the state, and has the option to go to a Stanford or a Duke for example, well, to keep that student here, the sell is much easier. Some aspects of the Honors College experience at LSU that have been developed over the last decade are really not all that prevalent on many campuses or honors colleges across the country. Not only do we have a residential college, which is modeled on the English system where you live in a house and have tutorials in the domicile, as well as in the French House—we also have the expansion of the Honors College curriculum, which was [former Honors College] Dean Clark’s major initiative. She instituted this idea to spread the footings of the Honors College to go beyond the humanities and be inclusive of all majors at LSU: engineering, computer science, business, architecture,

and so on. That broad base idea has become the model that other universities and honors programs across the country are following. We were a pioneer of the idea. Plus, with the quality of the faculty teaching Honors students, the opportunities to do research and travel abroad—all of these components add up to an Honors College experience that I think deepens the roots of a student in Louisiana. They may decide to go to graduate school elsewhere, but they come back to Louisiana. They have a sense of what Louisiana can be, and they say, Wow, I want to be a part of this. Millennials, generally speaking, seem to be emphasizing quality of life. The experiential, if you will. Not buying more stuff but gaining experiences. Travel, starting a business, whatever it might be. With this generation leading, places like Charleston and New Orleans that aren’t like every other cookie-cutter American city become very attractive. New Orleans has had catastrophes, of course. The silver lining is that our catastrophe slapped us in the face really hard. We were either going to lose the city, or we were going to engage and build an even greater city; we chose the latter. On this new foundation, entrepreneurs and the millennial generation are flowing into the city, and want to make a difference. New Orleans, it’s her time. It’s Louisiana’s time. It’s OUR time!

President Alexander and Roger Ogden at the naming ceremony.

Did you kneaux?We often say that the Ogden Honors College was “founded” in 1992,

when it was granted a Dean and full college status by the LSU Board of Supervisors. But our roots go back to 1967, when the

Honors Division was formed by the College of Arts & Sciences and the College of Chemistry & Physics—making the Ogden Honors College one

of the oldest collegiate Honors programs in the country.

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A longer version of this article is available on our website at honors.lsu.edu/news/roger-ogden

How You Can Invest in Ogden Honors We invite you to make an investment in the lives of our incredible students.

A gift to Ogden Honors will help provide students with experiences and resources that will enable them to impact our community and ultimately change the world. Easy ways you can invest in Honors:

Consider an annual gift this year. Whether it's $25 or $250, every gift makes a difference and counts as a positive vote for the future of the Ogden Honors College and its students. Visit lsufoundation.org/givetohonors, or call (225) 578-6868 to make your gift today.

Keep in touch.. We rely on our alumni and friends for advice and feedback, as well as to gain support in guiding current Honors students to reach their full academic and professional aspirations. We love to hear about the wonderful success of our alumni. Please visit honors.lsu.edu/alumni-update to fill out your Alumni Update form today!

Spread the word.. We need your help in building and spreading awareness of the Ogden community. There are many ways you can make an impact: from encouraging promising high school students to apply, to inviting former classmates to "like" our Facebook page, to attending local alumni events. An endorsement of your positive experience at the Honors College is one of the most powerful investments you can make. Thank you in advance for your support.

Want more information on how to get involved and invest in the Ogden Honors College? Contact Danielle Mack, CFRE at (225) 578-6868 or dmack@lsu.edu.

We would love to hear from you!

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$100 can help fund opportunity awards for student projects & study abroad programs

$50 can help support Honors Thesis research needs for an outstanding student

$25 can help purchase books for our Shared Read program

Stay connected with Ogden Honors Whether you took one Honors course while at LSU, or graduated with College Honors; whether you've given to Honors as a donor, or supported Honors as a parent: we welcome you as a part of the Ogden Honors College community. You form a network of diverse and talented individuals across the nation, and we invite you to join us and maintain (or rekindle) your connections with each other and with current students of the College. We want to hear from you! Fill out our online Alumni Update form at honors.lsu.edu/alumni-update to share your recent achievements and milestones with us, and sign up to receive info on future Ogden Honors news and events.

Did you kneaux?

Michael Beyer

Since 2005, the LSU Ogden Honors College has produced more Truman Scholars (9)

than Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, or Princeton.

Ogden Honors junior Michael Beyer of New Orleans has received the 2015 Truman Scholarship. A political science major and a LASAL Scholar, Beyer has worked tirelessly during his time at LSU to advocate for LGBT rights and progressive policies in Louisiana. Beyer was one of 58 Truman Scholars selected nationwide this year, from a pool of more than 700 candidates nominated by nearly 300 schools. “We congratulate Michael Beyer on being recognized by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation with this prestigious scholarship opportunity. He is joining a select group of LSU students as our 10th Truman Scholar since 2003,” said LSU President and Chancellor F. King Alexander. “The Truman Scholarship has a service focus, and we applaud Michael for his commitment to giving back and working toward equal rights for all.” Beyer has volunteered as a research and policy coordinator for Equality Louisiana, a grassroots organization that advocates for full legal and lived equality for LGBT residents of Louisiana. He has also worked as a research and communications assistant for Louisiana Progress, a nonprofit organization that campaigns for public policies that equalize opportunity and protect the less advantaged. Truman Scholarships offer recipients up to $30,000 for graduate study. Scholars are required to work in public service for three of the seven years following completion of their graduate work. Beyer expects to graduate from LSU in May 2016, after which he plans to attend law school and specialize in health care law and policy. He hopes ultimately to direct his passion for LGBT rights advocacy into a career that advances equitable health care legislation and rectifies health care disparities experienced by the LGBT community. His Truman Scholarship will allow him to spend the summer of 2015 working on federal LGBT health policies with Dr. Matthew Heinz, director of Provider & LGBT Outreach at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C. “I am incredibly honored to be recognized by the Truman Foundation,” Beyer said. “After my involvement in LGBTQ activism here on LSU’s campus through Spectrum and Equality Louisiana, I learned that LGBTQ people lack many legal protections that often leave them vulnerable to drastic health disparities. I hope the opportunities granted to me by the Truman Foundation will help me to work in achieving greater equity in health care for LGBTQ people.” Under the mentorship of Associate Professor of Political Science Belinda Davis, Beyer is researching and writing an Honors Thesis on the effects of welfare reform on LGBT families. “I cannot imagine an award that more perfectly suits Michael,” Davis said. “During his three years as a political science student, he has exemplified what it means to be an advocate for policy change on a host of important issues facing our state, while at the same time pursuing academic excellence at a student. I count it a privilege to be his mentor.” “Michael’s activism for LGBTQ rights at campus, community, and national levels earned him the Truman Scholarship,” said Drew Arms, Ogden Honors College Director of Fellowship Advising. “Already he has done impressive policy work and research on housing and healthcare issues, often under the tense conditions of protests and heated committee meetings. Michael is invariably poised, incredibly well-informed, and willing to stand up for his beliefs. He will make a difference in the lives of LGBTQ people; he has the intellect, character, and fortitude to produce real change. I will be very proud to say I knew him when.”

Award for an Advocate

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Did you kneaux?

Katie Hogan Mollie Smoak

Ogden Honors College junior Mollie Smoak received a 2015 Goldwater Scholarship, and Ogden junior Katie Hogan was recognized by the competition with a Goldwater Honorable Mention. Both Smoak and Hogan are biological engineering majors and conduct research in the lab of Associate Professor Daniel Hayes.

2015 Ogden Grad Accomplishments

Bruno Beltran & Rachael Keller (both BS, Mathematics) have received Graduate Research

Fellowships from the National Science Foundation. Keller will pursue a fully funded PhD in Applied Mathematics at

Columbia University. Beltran will pursue a fully funded PhD in Chemical & Systems Biology at Stanford University.

Matt Landry (BS, Nutrition & Food Sciences) will pursue a

PhD in Nutritional Sciences at University of Texas at Austin.

Catherine Lowe (BA, French Studies, LASAL Scholar) will teach English in

French public schools. While in France, she will also pursue her M.Ed. in Elementary Education at the University of Rennes.

Mitchell Mason(BS, Computer Science) will begin Navy flight training at the

Naval Aviation Schools Command in Pensacola, Florida.

Erin Percevault(BLA, Landscape Architecture) will research rural

development, watershed management, and biodiversity conservation in Bhutan with the School for Field Studies.

AshLee Smith (BA, Anthropology) will pursue a PhD in Political Science, with

a concentration in American Studies, at Cornell University.

Desmarie Stewart (BS, Biological Science, LASAL Scholar) has received a full

merit scholarship to attend the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

Christopher Sylvester (BS, Biological Engineering) will enter the MD/PhD program jointly administered by Rice University & Baylor College of

Medicine. He plans to study tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Cedric Williams(BS, Physics and Mathematics) will attend graduate school at

the University of Notre Dame to pursue a PhD in Mechanical Engineering.

A number of Ogden Honors mathematics seniors will enter top math PhD programs in the fall, including:

Jason MuellerCenter for Quantum Phontonics, University of Bristol, UK

Avery St. DizierMathematics, Cornell University

Jeremy TillayComputational & Applied Mathematics, Rice University

Paxton TurnerMathematics, MIT (entering 2016)

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Student News[ [

Zachary Fitzpatrick

In January 2015,Ogden Honors Collegesenior Zachary Fitzpatrick became LSU's first-ever GatesCambridge Scholar. This award will allowFitzpatrick to pursue afully funded Master ofPhilosophy degree in clinical science, with a specialization in rare diseases medicine, at the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. He has also received a Fulbright Fellowship to pursue a Master of Science in Advanced Immunology at the Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris, France. While a student at LSU, Fitzpatrick majored in biochemistry and conducted research in labs at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; the Pasteur Institute of Lille, France; and Harvard Medical School.

8 Johnston HallLouisiana State University Baton Rouge, LA 70803

honors.lsu.eduPhone: (225) 578-8831Email: honors@lsu.edu

POSTAGE

ADDRESS

save the date

Join us for the

Ogden Honors Homecoming TailgateSaturday, October 24 Courtyard between Johnston & Hatcher Hall (next to Tiger Stadium) free and open to Honors alumni & students

New Orleans author Michael Pitre will give the address at the 2015

Ogden Honors Convocation Wednesday, September 2 Royal Cotillion Ballroom, LSU Student Unionfree and open to the public

For more info, visit honors.lsu.edu/eventsPhoto: Katherine Elizabeth Photography