Lamar University doctoral student Jiahua Zhu recently received two prestigious awards and international recognition for his research.

Three Lamar University MBA students recently placed first in graduate level value funds at the Global Asset Management Education (GAME) conference, officials announced.

A group of 10 LU senior mechanical engineering students, also known as “Cardinal Racing,” who designed, built and raced an all-terrain vehicle took first place in a sled-pull event, and finished 30th overall out of the 100 teams at the 2013 SAE Baja East competition in Cookeville, Tenn., April 18-21.

Nine senior and two junior electrical engineering majors at Lamar University received top honors in a recent competition in Denver, sponsored by IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), the world’s largest professional association for the advancement of technology.

Lamar University invites students of all ages to a variety of summer camps to be held on campus this summer.

Sanaz Alasti, assistant professor of criminal justice at Lamar University and a native of Iran, has been named a Fellow of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East.

Lamar University has announced the creation of the Larry and Cynthia Norwood Chemical Engineering Scholarship in recognition of a generous gift to the Lamar University Foundation from the Austin couple. The $1 million endowment will provide funds for both undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships for students pursuing bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering.

The Lamar Civic Orchestra will perform selections from three of Gilbert and Sullivan’s most famous operas at its spring concert at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 30.

The Lamar University Dance Team will present the performance Mixed Emotions at the Jefferson Theatre Saturday, May 4.

Stefan Andrei, LU computer science associate professor, was nationally recognized by the Senior Member Committee of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) recently.

The Lamar University Phi Beta Delta International Scholars Honors Society Beta Xi Chapter inducted nine students and nine faculty members Monday, April 15.

The Cardinal Singers will delight audiences with jazz classics and popular ’50s hits that are guaranteed to get toes tapping when they take the stage for the Lamarissimo! concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25, in the Julie Rogers Theatre.

Lamar University’s Department of Theatre and Dance will close the 2012-13 season with “An American Sampler:” An Evening of Classic One-Act Plays April 25-28.

A new endowment fund has been established at Lamar University in honor of Gene and Elizabeth Arnold, respected Lamar alumni. This endowment will provide funds for new programs and to enhance existing ones, to support teaching, research, service and professional development activities of the College of Business.

Four Lamar University senior mechanical engineering students won three top awards in the Texas Space Grant Consortium Design Challenge Showcase, held in Houston April 15.

Sixteen retirees – representing 291 years of service to Lamar University – received recognition April 16 during the university’s annual staff awards ceremony.

Lamar University honored 110 employees with service awards at Lamar’s annual staff recognition program. The Lamar Staff Advisory Council hosted the event April 17 in the Mary and John Gray Library University Reception Center.

Qiang Xu has been selected as Lamar University’s 2013 University Scholar. President James Simmons announced the honor during a ceremony April 10 in the University Reception Center of the Mary and John Gray Library.

The Lamar University Staff Advisory Council has honored President James Simmons with the “Distinguished President Award,” citing his inspiration and dedication during one of the brightest periods in Lamar’s history.

Donna Blaisdell, executive assistant to the director of the Mary and John Gray Library, earned honors Tuesday as Lamar University’s first recipient of The Texas State University System Staff Excellence Award. Blaisdell is a resident of Lumberton and a 28-year veteran of the Lamar staff. Five other LU employees earned Distinguished Staff Awards at Lamar’s annual staff recognition program.

Fourteen retirees – representing more than 300 years of teaching excellence at Lamar University – received recognition April 10 during the university’s annual faculty awards ceremony.

Lamar University has honored four faculty members with 2013 University Merit Awards in recognition of outstanding performance in the classroom. Award recipients are assistant professors Yunsuk Koh, health and kinesiology; Alberto Marquez, industrial engineering; Amy Smith, English; and Suying Wei, chemistry and biochemistry.

Industrial Carillon, Lamar University’s new-music ensemble, will present the final concert in the 2012-13 “Living Composer Series” at 7:30 p.m., Monday, April 22, with Hindustani music master Ustad Ghulam Farid Nizami.

Lamar University honored Helen Lou, a professor in the Dan F. Smith Department of Chemical Engineering, as the 2013 University Professor, with officials applauding her as one of the world’s most productive environmental researchers and an outstanding faculty member who has contributed significantly to the successes of her department.

The Lamar University Foundation has announced a new endowment. The Joe and Charlotte Ware President’s Innovation Fund has been established for use by the president of Lamar University to further the mission of the university.

The Texas Institute of Letters has honored Jim Sanderson, professor and chair in Lamar University’s Department of English and Modern Languages, with the Kay Cattarulla Award for short-story writing.

Elisabeth Maxwell, Beaumont biology major and Lamar Ambassador, will receive the Marian Beane/Charles Gliozzo Domestic Student Award for International Achievement. This is an award given by the Phi Beta Delta International Scholars Honors Society to one student member at the national level. Maxwell will accept the award at the society’s national convention in North Carolina April 11-13.

Lamar University has selected 12 students to serve as Lamar Ambassadors. They will join 18 returning Ambassadors in representing the student body at official university events during the 2013-2014 academic year.

The Night & Day Orchestra will hold a benefit concert for the Dr. Wayne Dyess Memorial Scholarship in Music on Thursday, May 2, at the Event Centre.

The Lamar University Foundation has announced the establishment of a new endowed scholarship. The Bankers’ Financial Education Scholarship in Finance has been established to assist students seeking a degree in finance who are interested in the banking industry.

Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum will be the site of a rowdy and raucous celebration of Southeast Texas’ ranching heritage, the Cowboy Ruckus & Camp Out, on Saturday, April 20, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on the museum grounds.

Four Lamar University MBA students have become the US Global Management Champions by winning the world’s largest strategy and management competition in the fourth round of competition held at the New York Stock Exchange.

Special populations of students – which includes athletes, honors students, military personnel (active duty and veterans), seniors and students with disabilities – can register for classes beginning Tuesday, April 9. Open registration for all admitted students will begin Tuesday, April 16.

The Lamar University Department of Theatre and Dance will present its spring dance concert “Periphery” at 7:30 p.m. April 11 - 12 in the University Theatre.

Incoming Lamar University freshmen can start their college careers off right by registering for one of seven upcoming New Student Orientation sessions. Orientation sessions are scheduled for May 4, June 12, June 14, July 16, July 18, July 20 and July 31.

Lamar Opera Theatre will perform “Der Betrogene Kadi” (originally “Le Cadi Dupé,” or “The Duped Judge”), a comic opera in one act by Christoph Willibald Gluck, at 7:30 p.m. April 19 - 20.

Lamar University’s College of Business is one of 25 business schools around the world chosen to participate in the Aspen Institute’s 2013 Business and Society International MBA Case Competition this year.

Lamar University and the Society of Women Engineers will host a fair Saturday, April 13, to promote and inform people about the benefits of an education in engineering.

The Lamar University Academic Lecture Series is proud to present author, professor and keynote speaker Erik Qualman on April 9

Active duty and military veterans will be able to register early for Lamar University classes beginning with the May Mini, Summer and Fall 2013 terms. “We wanted to honor our service members for their service and dedication to our country and make them feel welcome,” said Norma Cumbaa, coordinator of veterans affairs.

Three LU scientists and three undergraduate research assistants traveled to Washington D.C. during the week of spring break to participate in testing a novel new approach to dating fossils.

The Lamar University Writing Center and the Department of English and Modern Languages are celebrating National Poetry Month with a poetry blackout party at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

The Board of Regents of the Texas State University System has unanimously approved the appointment of Kenneth R. Evans, Ph.D., as president of Lamar University. Regents voted on Evans’ appointment during a special called meeting of the board today.

The Lamar University Jack Brooks Chair in Government and Public Service will focus on substance abuse when it hosts the 2013 Brooks Conference Thursday, April 18.

Gerald Duff, novelist and Lamar University alumnus, will visit the LU campus April 18 to read excerpts from his literary works and discuss his education and memories from the university.

Bright pinks, vivid yellows, soft hues of lavender, springtime greens and many more shades seem to leap from the bold abstract art of New York painter Matthew Neil Gehring. Lamar University’s Dishman Art Museum will host an exhibition of Gehring’s recent work, “Brilliant Corners,” from April 2 to May 2.

Demetrius Taylor, LU computer science senior from Dayton, earned third place in international competition at the 44th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education March 9 in Denver, Colo. The annual symposium, sponsored by the Association for Computing Machinery’s Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education, is the premiere showcase for computing education in the United States.

Lamar Ph.D. students, Xi Zhang and Qingliang He, recently received prestigious scholarships sponsored by Polyolefin of Society of Plastics Engineers.

The Omega Upsilon Chapter of Order of Omega at Lamar University honored 16 exemplary members of the fraternity and sorority community during its initiation ceremony on March 19.

Lamar University has been recognized on the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

The Lamar University Foundation has announced the establishment of a new endowed scholarship. The Scott and Patricia Groben Scholarship in Chemistry has been established to assist students seeking a degree in chemistry.

Lamar University’s ExxonMobil Entrepreneurship Lecture Series will encourage participants to “Think Global: Embracing International Markets in Entrepreneurship,” Thursday, March 21.

John Guo and Suying Wei have received a $84,130 National Science Foundation grant entitled “EAGER: The First Steps toward Giant Magnetoresistive Carbon Nano Composites.”

The fabled Orient Express luxury train conjures up images of exotic destinations, breathtaking Alpine vistas, and exquisite cuisine all experienced within the plush Art Deco confines of an iconic mode of transportation.

Lamar University’s College of Education will host Ruby Payne, expert in educational leadership as ExxonMobil Scholar in Residence, March 21 and 22.

The Board of Regents of The Texas State University System and Chancellor Brian McCall announced today Kenneth R. Evans, Ph.D., has been named sole finalist in the Lamar University presidential search.

The Lamar University chapter of Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, will host Rikk Kvitek, professor in the Division of Science and Environmental Policy, California State University Monterey Bay, in a free public lecture on Wednesday, March 27, at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Dishman Art Museum.

The Lamar University chapter of Ducks Unlimited is the No. 1 “Sweet 16” university chapter for 2012, the organization announced recently. Lamar’s Ducks Unlimited student chapter raised $65,464 in 2012. That accomplishment set a new record .

In 2007, the Wall Street Journal ranked Lamar as one of the 100 most diverse campuses in the United States, with 30 percent of its students coming from underrepresented ethnic groups.

Lamar University will present author and professor Erik Qualman on the power of social media and the digital trends in today’s business world in a free public lecture in the Lamar University Academic Lecture Series, April 9 at 7:30 p.m. in the Montagne Center.

Lamar University has announced a record-setting 104 recipients of prestigious Mirabeau Scholarships will be entering fall 2013. The increase in Mirabeau Scholars coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Honors Program at the university, officials said.

The Lamar University Department of English and Modern Languages is joining Lamar State College-Orange Ron E. Lewis Library and the Stark Museum of Art in The Big Read’s spring events.

The Lamar University soccer program is offering a two-day, soccer-oriented, Spring Break Soccer Camp for boys and girls, kindergarten through 8th grades, March 14 -15, 9 a.m. through 12 p.m.

Prospective students from all undergraduate majors can learn more about the advantages of pursuing an MBA at Lamar University at an Open House scheduled for 5:30 - 7 p.m. March 19 in room 140 of the Galloway Business Building.

The Lamar Advertising Federation will head to Tulsa, Okla., April 10-12, for the 40th annual American Advertising Federation’s (AAF) National Student Advertising Competition.

Lamar University president James M. “Jimmy” Simmons has become the first president emeritus in Lamar History, Chancellor Brian McCall announced Saturday night. McCall joined regents of The Texas State University System to also announce the Music Building at LU will honor Simmons, while the nearby garden will bear the name of his wife Susan.

Jimmy Simmons Boulevard officially became part of the Lamar University landscape Friday (March 1, 2013) with the unveiling of street signs and a tribute to Simmons and his wife, Susan, in the historic McDonald Gym.

J. Wayne Dyess, professor of trombone and director of jazz studies at Lamar University, died Wednesday, Feb. 27, at the Medical Center of Southeast Texas. He was 65.

Lamar University’s acclaimed Lamarissimo! Concert Series continues Thursday, March 7, as the Wind Ensemble and Concert Band perform classic symphonic selections by Edvard Greig and Leonard Bernstein, and premieres an original composition in honor of Wayne Dyess, longtime director of jazz studies at Lamar, who died Feb. 27.

Five outstanding Lamar University alumni were honored as 2013 Distinguished Alumni on Friday, Feb. 22, at the university's annual Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner. Honorees for 2013 were Wilford Flowers, Bob Jones, Jerry Reese, Bill Scott and Susan Williams Simmons.

Beaumont City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to rename a major campus thoroughfare Jimmy Simmons Boulevard. The portion of University Drive between East Cardinal Drive and East Lavaca Street will now bear Simmons’ name to honor his accomplishments during his tenure as president of Lamar University, said City Manager Kyle Hayes.

It’s a “Standing Ovation” for a bravura performance.

Lamar University has created a new office of sustainability with the goal of making the university as efficient and environmentally friendly as possible. Steve Doblin, provost and vice president of academic affairs, named Jim Armacost, assistant professor of biology, the university’s first director of sustainability.

The Lamar University Foundation has announced the establishment of a new endowed scholarship. The Mike and Pat Aldredge Mirabeau Scholarship will provide funding for incoming freshmen of any major who meet the requirements to be Mirabeau Scholars.

Lamar University released its official Spring 2013 enrollment figure of 13,010 students today.

Lamar University’s Department of Theatre and Dance breathes new life into one of William Shakespeare’s most popular tragedies “Macbeth,” opening Feb. 28.

Lamar University’s Mary Scheer is a recipient of the prestigious 2012 Liz Carpenter Award for Research in the History of Women, presented by the Texas State Historical Association.

Pulse, Lamar University's student-created literary magazine, has released its 60th edition. Sponsored by the Department of English and Modern Languages, the magazine contains poetry and prose by students from a variety of disciplines on campus.

The Texas Academy of Leadership in the Humanities presents the twelfth annual symposium “Shared Ideas, Coexisting Cultures, and the Promotion of the Humanities” on Feb. 19 - 20.

The Mary and John Gray Library is hosting an exhibit featuring the career of Dave Oliphant,

The Lamar University Foundation has announced the establishment of a new endowed scholarship. The Dolores and Vincent Leone Scholarship will provide funding for undergraduate and graduate engineering majors.

The Mary Katherine Bell Regents Scholarship will provide funding for all full-time students majoring in mathematics.

The Patsy and Michael Yennie Scholarship will provide funding for all full-time accounting majors.

The Lamar University Department of History will host the fourth annual Regional History Day competition on Thursday, Feb. 14, attracting students from high schools and middle schools across Southeast Texas.

Texas Academy of Leadership in the Humanities at Lamar University offers a program to sophomore high school students who are eager to advance to college-level learning.

Lamar University is seeking nominations for the 2013 honoree in the Distinguished Faculty Lecture Series, sponsored by ExxonMobil. Feb. 15 is the nomination deadline.

A total of 557 Lamar University students earned places on the President’s List for the 2012 fall semester, President James Simmons announced.

A total of 1,068 Lamar University students earned places on the Deans’ List for the fall 2012 semester, deans of Lamar’s five academic colleges announced.

The Lamar University chapter of Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, will host Rikk Kvitek, professor in the Division of Science and Environmental Policy, California State University Monterey Bay, in a free public lecture on Wednesday, March 27, at 7:30 p.m. in the Richard Price Auditorium, John Gray Center, Building A.

Lamar University Office of Student Engagement has taken over parents programming with plans to increase parent involvement.

John Storey, distinguished regents professor emeritus of history at Lamar University, published a new book, “Go Tell the Good News,” as part of the 2012 centennial celebration of Central Baptist Church in Port Arthur.

Lamar University’s early college entrance program for high school-aged students will offer its semiannual glimpse into the opportunities provided for mature, academically-focused students at its spring preview day, Saturday, Feb. 16.

The Mathematical Association of America will recognize Lamar University associate professor Kumer Das for teaching excellence. The association tapped Das with its Alder Award for 2013 for distinguished teaching by a beginning college or university mathematics faculty member.

The Lamar University Spirit Team is thinking big as it prepares for its eighth annual “Showdown!” Pom and Dance Clinic Saturday, Feb. 2, on the Lamar campus.

According to Elton Payne, program manager for the LU Community Outreach Program, one-fourth of all eligible Texas taxpayers fail to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and other eligible refundable tax credits.

One hundred big, bright and bold banners are going up across campus at Lamar University as the school enters its 90th year. The new banners were made possible with the support of the university’s neighbor ExxonMobil.

U.S. News & World Report ranked Lamar University’s online graduate nursing program as second in the nation out of 101 programs evaluated. The ranking is based on four criteria: faculty credentials and training, student services and technology, student engagement, and admissions selectivity.

Gateway Brass, the brass ensemble of the United States Air Force’s Band of the West will present a free public concert at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 22, in the Music Building on the campus of Lamar University.

Students from the Southeast Texas region are participating in the JASON Project at Lamar University, Jan. 7-25.

Lamar University’s new Undergraduate Advising Center has opened in a new suite of offices in the Parker Building where advisors are working to help students stay on track toward their academic and personal goals.

Eighty Lamar University students graduated with honors during fall commencement ceremonies Dec. 15, 2012, in the Montagne Center.

The Lamar University Cheerleading Team is preparing to compete in the 2013 UCA College Nationals held at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida on Jan. 18.

High school students and college transfers can learn about the opportunities that await them at Lamar University during Spring Open House on Saturday, Feb. 23. Spring Open House allows prospective students and their families to gather information about all aspects of college life, from academics to clubs and organizations.

Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum, on the Lamar University campus, will mark the 112th anniversary of Spindletop on Saturday, Jan.12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with family activities, special guest speakers, refreshments and a full re-enactment of the historic Lucas Gusher, sponsored by Avon Products, Inc.

Application packets for 2013-2014 Lamar University Ambassadors will be available through March 19 in the Office of Alumni Affairs located in the John Gray Center, Building B, Suite 102, on the Lamar University campus.

Lamar University honored Lan Nguyen of Nederland and Paul Eugene Howell of Beaumont with the Plummer Award, recognizing them as the top female and male graduates in Lamar’s class of December 2012. Both attained perfect grade-point averages of 4.0.

Lamar University’s Dishman Art Museum will host “Modern Impulses and Surreal Dreams: Contemporary Printmakers from Across the Nation” from Dec. 18 to Feb. 25. The exhibition highlights the work of more than 25 nationally recognized printmakers.

As the academic processionals march through the Montagne Center for Lamar University’s commencement ceremonies this Saturday, they will follow a university mace that received a recent facelift thanks to the work of a Lamar alumnus.

Lamar University will award the honorary doctor of humane letters to Larry Wayne Lawson, chairman, president and chief executive officer of eCardio Diagnostics, at fall commencement Dec. 15.

Lamar University, and the JoAnne Gay Dishman Department of Nursing, is pleased to announce that Eileen Deges Curl, chair of the nursing department, has been inducted into the National League for Nursing’s Academy of Nursing Education with the credential of “fellow.”

A memorial service for the late Congressman Jack Brooks will be held 2 p.m. Sunday in the Montagne Center of Lamar University. Brooks, who died Tuesday at age 89, was a national figure whose lifetime of public service yielded lasting benefits for the people of Southeast Texas and for Lamar University.

Jeff Forret, associate professor of history at Lamar University, has published his second book, “Slavery in the United States.” The book is part of the “Issues and Controversies in American History” series by New York publisher Facts on File.

Lamar University’s Dishman Art Museum will host “Creative Sweet,” a graphic design showcase, from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 7. The exhibition will present the work of 22 students enrolled in Advanced Graphic Design offered through the Department of Art.

Surveying and City Planning the Focus of Patillo Higgins Day

A Lamar University program designed to retain students in science and technology related fields has exceeded its goals in student retention and placement. Students Advancing through Involvement in Research Student Talent Expansion Program (STAIRSTEP) exceeded its 70 percent retention rate goal by 21 percentage points. As of October, 91 percent of participants retained their Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) related majors.

Research by Lamar University associate professor Rafael Tadmor, with the collaboration of colleagues at Rice University and the University of Bridgeport, will appear in the prestigious online journal Nature Communications.

Lamar University is scheduled to confer 1,209 degrees at fall commencement Saturday, Dec. 15, in the Montagne Center. Community activist Regina Rogers will be the keynote speaker.

Lamar University’s A Cappella Choir, Grand Chorus and Cardinal Singers will celebrate the season with classic Christmas and Hanukkah favorites at the annual Lamarissimo! Holiday Choirs concert at 3 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 2, in the Julie Rogers Theatre.

The Department of Art at Lamar University will host an open house and portfolio review for all students interested in pursuing careers in art, art education, photography or graphic design this Saturday, Dec. 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Art Building.

The Lamar University Foundation has announced the establishment of a new endowed scholarship. The Coach H.A. Butler Presidential Scholarship will provide funding for full-time incoming freshman students of all majors.

Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown, on the Lamar University campus, will celebrate the unique character and vision of Patillo Higgins at its next Wildcatter Weekend on December 8, from 1 to 4 p.m., with activities focused on Higgins’ biggest dream – a perfect industrial city called Gladys City.

To celebrate the 112th anniversary of the historic Lucas Gusher at Spindletop, the Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum, on the Lamar University campus, is inviting families with any connection to Spindletop to tell their stories on Saturday, January 12, 2013, at the annual Spindletop Anniversary Celebration.

Amy Morgan of Silsbee and Crissie Vandehoef of Port Neches have been chosen as 2013 recipients of the David J. Beck Fellowships, a competitive and generous award for Lamar University undergraduate students.

The Lamar Civic Orchestra will take audience members on a classical music journey from the Baroque period though the 20th century at its fall concert, “Baroque to Modern,” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 27.

Rob Griffith, the author of four award-winning books of poetry, will read from his work Thursday, Nov. 29, at Lamar University.

Lamar University has been recognized by Princeton Review’s “Best 296 Business Schools: 2013 Edition” for its exceptional MBA program in the College of Business. Of the 296 business schools, 280 were from the U.S. and 16 were international.

The Golden Triangle Sierra Club recently presented a one-time scholarship of $2,500 to Clint Burnett, a Lamar University senior biology major with emphasis in environmental sciences.

The Lamar University Foundation has announced the establishment of a new endowed scholarship benefitting the “University Press”, Lamar’s student newspaper. The Howard Perkins Memorial Scholarship will provide educational funding for the newspaper editor.

Sanaz Alasti, assistant professor of criminal justice at Lamar University and an Iran native, has been invited to present her research at the fifth seminar organized by the International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences, in co-operation with the NATO School. This year’s seminar will focus on “Shari’a Law and Military Operations” in the Middle East.

Three Lamar University computer science majors placed in the Top 20 at the Association on Computing Machinery’s South Central Regional Programming Contest at Louisiana State University, Oct. 19-20.

Lamar University’s Mary Scheer breaks ground with a new book she has edited: “Women and the Texas Revolution.”

Lamar University public radio KVLU (91.3 FM) will host a South Pacific travel adventure Nov. 4 – 18, 2013, with more details to be revealed at a travel meeting at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14, at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas.

James Esser, university professor of psychology, will focus on “Negotiating with Terrorists” when he presents Lamar University’s 2012 Distinguished Faculty Lecture at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13, in the University Theatre.

Dancing, singing, feasting, swordplay and puppetry are among the many Renaissance-era delights that will entertain guests at the Cardinal Court fundraiser for the Department of Theatre & Dance at Lamar University on Friday, Nov. 30.

The Lamar Dance Company seeks to illuminate these questions when it takes the stage Nov. 16 – 17 for “Perspectives,” the annual fall dance concert at Lamar University. The performance, which starts at 7:30 p.m. each night, will be in the University Theatre.

Sara Gubala, instructor of political science at Lamar University, and her springer spaniel, Kennedy, have a way of brightening up a room. Through their service in the community they have brought smiles to children and seniors and helped motivate injured patients toward recovery.

Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown, on the Lamar University campus, will celebrate Yount-Lee Day at its next Wildcatter Weekend on November 10, from 1 to 4 p.m., with a morning lecture by Lamar University archivist Penny Clark and an afternoon all about horses.

Registration begins this week for Lamar University’s winter mini-session and Spring 2013 semester. Registration for special populations – which includes athletes, honors students, seniors and students with disabilities – begins Thursday, Nov. 8. Open registration begins Thursday, Nov. 15.

The 23rd season of the Lamarissimo! Concert Series opens Thursday, Nov. 8, with the Lamar Jazz Ensemble and special guest performances by Lamar University President Jimmy Simmons. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Julie Rogers Theatre.

The memories are golden for Lamar University’s Class of 1962.

The Lamar University Foundation has announced the establishment of a new endowed scholarship for all majors. The R.C. “Bobby” and Ramona Hext Scholarship will provide funding for full-time undergraduate students at Lamar University. Cynthia Hext Fontenot, the daughter of Bobby and Ramona Hext, established the scholarship in memory of her parents.

James Esser, university professor of psychology, will focus on “Negotiating with Terrorists” when he presents Lamar University’s 2012 Distinguished Faculty Lecture at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13, in the University Theatre.

The Lamar University Foundation has announced the establishment of a new endowed scholarship for students majoring in music. The Dr. Barbara Mathis Vocal Scholarship will provide funding for full-time music majors with a concentration in either voice or vocal performance.

More than 250 people gathered early on an unseasonably cool and blustery autumn Saturday morning to celebrate the grand opening of the new T.A. Lamb & Son, Printers exhibit at Lamar University’s Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum.

Six Lamar University students have been selected as finalists for the 2013 David J. Beck Fellowships, the university’s most prestigious undergraduate award. A ceremony recognizing two of these students as David J. Beck Fellows is planned for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 27 in the University Reception Center on the eighth floor of the Mary and John Gray Library.

Lamar University and the Beaumont Foundation of America have announced the 15th in a series of Southeast Texas Legends Scholarships, this one honoring Walter Umphrey, founding partner of Provost Umphrey Law Firm. The $100,000 endowed scholarship will assist underserved Lamar University students, said Lamar President James Simmons.

Lamar University will honor 50-year-plus graduates at its inaugural Golden Circle brunch Saturday, Nov. 10.

The Lamar University Foundation Inc. will host a program and reception Thursday, Nov. 8, to honor the four recipients of the 2012 Julie and Ben Rogers Community Service Award.

Following extensive renovations, the newly remodeled Barnes & Noble at Lamar University bookstore – featuring an expansive array of textbooks, general reading books, school supplies and other collegiate merchandise – will hold its grand opening celebration Wednesday, Oct. 31. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. and the event will include refreshments, a Facebook scavenger hunt and special sales. The first 100 customers will receive an eco-friendly tote.

The Entergy Texas Charitable Foundation has awarded a grant to the Lamar University Community Outreach Program to develop Phase II of a needs assessment study for rural areas of Southeast Texas.

Six exceptional students from Lamar University’s Texas Academy of Leadership in the Humanities (TALH) have recently been recognized for their academic talents.

The new director of Lamar University’s Dishman Art Museum looks to achieve a higher level of greatness for the venue. “I am excited about the potential for the Dishman to be more utilized as a teaching and learning resource to the Lamar and Southeast Texas community across different disciplines,” said Megan Young, assistant professor of art history, who assumed duties this fall.

Lamar University conferred 579 degrees during commencement ceremonies on Aug. 18, 2012. Here are Lamar’s summer 2012 graduates and their majors, listed according to their hometowns.

Because of widespread interest, Lamar University’s presentation of “An Evening with Thomas Jefferson on the American Presidency” will move to the University Theatre on Tuesday, Oct. 16.

Lamar University’s Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum will celebrate the grand opening of the new T.A. Lamb & Son, Printers exhibit on Oct. 27, at 10 a.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Lamar University is joining Lamar State College-Orange Ron E. Lewis Library in The Big Read. Put together by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the program is aimed at promoting reading for the pleasure of reading.

Lamar University public radio KVLU (91.3 FM) will begin its annual fall membership campaign "Buy the Hour" Tuesday, Oct. 16, giving public radio listeners the chance to show their financial support by sponsoring at least one hour of broadcast time.

“Quilters,” a joyous and moving musical celebration of American womanhood and the pioneer spirit, opens the 2012-13 season for Lamar University’s Department of Theatre & Dance on Thursday, Oct. 11. The play will run through Oct. 14.

Lamar University students will "Remember the Cards, Remember the Cause!" at Homecoming 2012 with a fun week of activities dedicated to the spirit of Lamar University.

A celebration of Cardinal camaraderie awaits Lamar University alumni during LU Homecoming 2012 festivities Saturday, Oct. 13.

Historical scholar Bill Barker is praised as the quintessential Thomas Jefferson – an interpreter who not only embodies the third president but becomes him.

Four Lamar University professional pedagogy students are being honored for excellence by the Center for Research Evaluation Advancement of Teacher Education’s (CREATE) Quest for Quality Teacher-prep in Texas program.

A passion for music and the visual arts will result in a permanent legacy for Southeast Texas arts patron Mary Jane Garth – a gift that will enrich the lives and cultivate the talents of students at Lamar University.

Lamar University was recently added to the 2013 list of military-friendly schools by G.I. Jobs magazine. The military-friendly school designation places Lamar in the top 15 percent of all colleges, universities and trade schools nationwide that have successfully integrated service members into their campus and online offerings.

The Lamar University Texas Academy of Leadership in the Humanities will host a fall preview day on Saturday, Oct. 6 for students interested in the program.

Lamar University has set another all-time enrollment record, officials announced today. Official figures for the fall 2012 semester taken on the 20th class day show Lamar has the highest enrollment in the university’s history.

Lamar University students and employees have one more reason to take a hard look at the benefit of driving electric vehicles—especially now that they can get them charged for free. Officials with Entergy Texas and Lamar today held a grand opening for an electric vehicle charging station at the Montagne Center.

Two Lamar University English students won first place awards in the Texas Association of Creative Writing Teachers writing competition. Alaina Bray, Hamshire senior, and Ruth Grace Megnet, graduate student from Switzerland, placed first in student writing categories and will present their work at the annual conference Sept. 28 at University of Texas Pan-American in Edinburg, Texas. Both are students of Jerry Bradley, professor of English and modern languages at Lamar.

The Smith-Hutson Scholarship program will become one of the most generous and prolific scholarship programs at LU, with six students beginning on the scholarship this fall in a program that will grow in numbers each year in the College of Business. Smith-Hutson scholars are funded at up to $14,000 per year for a maximum of four years.

For more than 30 years, the biennial Quilt National exhibition has showcased the best and most exciting contemporary art quilts being created around the world. Selections from the 2011 Quilt National show will grace the walls of the Dishman Art Museum on the campus of Lamar University Sept. 24 – Nov. 16.

High-achieving high school juniors and seniors can learn about Lamar University’s varied academic programs and scholarship opportunities at Academic Open House on Saturday, Oct. 13.

The Lamar University Foundation has announced the establishment of a new endowed scholarship for engineering majors. The Hermann H. Ortega Scholarship in Engineering will provide funding for full-time students seeking a bachelor’s or master’s degree in chemical engineering at Lamar University.

A contribution from South African Coal and Oil, SASOL, is the first to help Lamar University upgrade the aging Unit Operations Laboratory in the Dan F. Smith Department of Chemical Engineering. The company’s North American headquarters is in Westlake, La.

As Lamar University’s current David J. Beck Fellows are completing their fellowship projects, other top students have just a few weeks remaining to apply for the 2013 David J. Beck Fellowships. The application deadline for this prestigious award for outstanding Lamar University undergraduates is Oct. 1.

A memorial scholarship has been established honoring A.J. Leger’s service to the community. The A.J. Leger Memorial Scholarship will benefit outstanding students pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition, dietetics and hospitality administration.

The Texas State University System announced today the advisory search committee that will guide the process of selecting the next president of Lamar University.

A scholarship has been established in the Lamar University Foundation honoring Margie Hartsfield Fuller, a Lamar University alumna. The scholarship will benefit outstanding students enrolled in the Educator Preparation Program.

Lamar University will host the seventh annual Constitution Day event Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. in the Lamar Institute of Technology Multi-Purpose Center. This year’s event will feature speaker J. Lee Thompson, professor of history, at Lamar University.

Girls in kindergarten through eighth grade will have a chance to rev up routines for Saturday night lights when Lamar University hosts a Cheer and Dance Football Clinic Saturday, Sept. 15.

The Lamar University Foundation has named Joe Domino president of the organization from September 2012 to August 2014. Joining him are new officers Don Lyle, vice president; Keith Kebodeaux, secretary; and Mark Eddingston, treasurer.

Sixteen Lamar University students graduated with honors during summer commencement ceremonies Aug. 18 in the Montagne Center.

The Lamar University College Panhellenic Council’s Formal Recruitment will take place on Sept.14– 17, 2012.

To celebrate the third season of the return of collegiate football to Southeast Texas, Lamar University is reminding fans to “Get Your Red On” – leading up to the home opener at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, in Provost Umphrey Stadium.

Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown, on the Lamar University campus, will celebrate the life and achievements of Capt. Anthony F. Lucas at its next Wildcatter Weekend on Saturday, Sept. 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a special one-day exhibit and the first-ever 21st Century Wildcatter Challenge.

Lamar University President James Simmons had three words for faculty and staff attending the annual back-to-school convocation Monday (Aug. 20, 2012): Recruit. Retain. Graduate.

Lamar University honored Meagan Walters of Lumberton and Andrew Bourgeois of Groves with the Plummer Award, recognizing them as the top female and male graduates in Lamar’s class of August 2012.

Lamar University’s College of Engineering, in collaboration with Refinery Wastewater Associates, will host a refinery wastewater treatment course, Aug. 13-17, for environmental managers and wastewater treatment staff featuring a number of high-profile experts.

Students interested in beginning their studies at Lamar University this fall must submit all admission application materials no later than Friday, Aug. 10.

Lamar University’s master of education programs ranked No. 1 in a list of the most affordable master’s degrees offered online in the United States, according to a national consumer group.

CBS Sports’ NFL play-by-play announcer and Lamar University alumnus Bill Macatee will be interviewed on the next “LUTV on Fox” episode to premiere at 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 12

Lamar University is scheduled to confer 577 degrees at summer commencement Saturday, Aug. 18, in the Montagne Center. District 3 State Senator Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, will be the keynote speaker. Nichols is a 1968 graduate of LU.

Xianchang Li, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Lamar University, will undertake groundbreaking work in modeling complex power generation systems with an eye to increasing efficiency thanks to a $69,000 grant from Entergy Charitable Foundation.

After more than 42 years at Lamar University, the last 14 as president, James M. “Jimmy” Simmons will be stepping down from the top spot, he announced Friday before a standing-room-only crowd of faculty, staff and community members.

The Texas Workforce Commission Summer Merit Program and Lamar University have teamed up with local businesses to bring 40 Golden Triangle students the gO SETX Construction Career Academy.

Lamar University and Seoul National University of Science and Technology formally entered a memorandum of understanding for student and faculty exchange and collaborative research LU Provost Steve Doblin and SeoulTech representative Jin-Hui Lee, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, announced today.

The Lamar University Cheerleading Team brought home seven awards from the Universal Cheerleaders Association College Camp in San Marcos this month. The Lamar team included 19 women, seven men and two mascots.

Lamar University President James Simmons has earned another elite honor with induction into the Phi Beta Mu Texas Bandmasters Hall of Fame. In selecting Simmons to become part of the Hall of Fame’s 2012 class, the international bandmasters fraternity continues its tradition of “honoring outstanding Texas band directors whose dedication and devotion to their profession was paramount.”

Students interested in beginning their studies at Lamar University this fall should submit all admission application materials as soon as possible. The application deadline for Fall 2012 is Friday, Aug. 10.

The public is invited to comment on Lamar's education programs as a part of an accreditation review by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.

Six Lamar University undergraduate computer science students are taking on the role of teacher as they lead a workshop to introduce area K-12 school teachers to fundamental computing concepts and help the teachers develop curriculum materials for the coming year.

Lamar University officials have announced the promotion of Priscilla Parsons to vice president for information technology.

Partners with the LSC-O Ron E. Lewis Library in the SETX Big Read include the Lamar University Department of English and Modern Languages and Mary and John Gray Library

Seventy high-achieving Texas high school juniors and seniors and incoming college freshmen are attending the Texas Governor’s School at Lamar University.

A total of 881 Lamar University students earned places on the Deans’ List for the spring 2012 fall semester, deans of Lamar’s five academic colleges announced.

A total of 461 Lamar University students earned places on the President’s List for the 2012 spring semester, President James Simmons announced.

Lamar University conferred 1,299 degrees during commencement ceremonies on May 19, 2012.

Lamar University has promoted two leaders of its alumni office to expanded roles within the University Advancement division, officials announced today. Juan Zabala becomes an associate vice president, while his assistant, Linda LeBlanc, becomes director of Alumni Affairs.

“It was nothing like what I expected,” said Aaron Weatherford of his experience with reduced gravity aboard NASA’s Reduced Gravity aircraft.

Twenty-four Southeast Texas high-school students are exploring the applications of mathematics in the two-week, residential Lamar Achievement in Mathematics Program (LAMP) at Lamar University.

Beaumont attorney DeWayne Layfield and the Texas State University System Foundation were honored today with a scholarship thanks to the combined generosity of The Beaumont Foundation of America and The Texas State University System Foundation. Each contributed $1 million to create the Layfield–TSUS Foundation Scholarship for undergraduate and graduate students majoring in engineering.

The Bill and Johnnie Grantham Scholarship in Nursing will provide funding for outstanding students seeking bachelors or master’s degrees in nursing at Lamar University.

Students from area middle schools spent a day with veteran astronaut Bernard Harris, Friday in the Dishman Art Gallery at Lamar University.

A memorial scholarship has been established in the Lamar University Foundation honoring Minh-Dang Nguyen, a former Lamar University nursing major.

Lamar University has named Jason Henderson director of athletics effective Monday, June 18.

Lamar University has been ranked No. 1 in the nation for graduating Hispanic master’s degree students in education for the second consecutive year by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine.

The fall 2012 semester will mark the arrival of the latest class of Mirabeau Scholars to Lamar University.

Thirty-five high school students from 20 area schools visited Lamar University and CHRISTUS Hospital St. Elizabeth and St. Mary campuses on June 8 and 9 to learn about the nursing profession.

Students and their teachers in Southeast Texas are being offered the opportunity to learn about the latest in energy science thanks to a partnership between Lamar University engineering professor Tony Pereira and Rice professor Enrique Barrera.

The National Science Foundation has awarded Lamar University $590,000 in funding for the departments of mathematics and computer science.

Lamar University will host The ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp June 10-22. The free, two-week residential camp is designed for underserved incoming sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students who excel in mathematics and science.

Lamar University accounting students earned excellence awards at a program sponsored by the Southeast Texas Chapter of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants (TSCPA).

A team of Lamar University students and their faculty advisor will become the 14th group from LU to fly an experiment aboard NASA’s Reduced Gravity aircraft. The team’s experiment, wave dispersion on a torsion wave machine in accelerated reference frames, will be flown on two flights scheduled for June 14-15.

Lamar University, along will all member schools in The Texas State University System, has become a smoke-free campus, effective June 1. According to TSUS officials, the system is committed to providing a safe, healthy and pleasant environment for its faculty, staff and students. To that end, each component institution developed a comprehensive institutional policy creating a smoke-free and tobacco-free environment on its premises.

A total of 140 Lamar University students graduated with honors during spring commencement ceremonies May 19 in the Montagne Center.

Seven Lamar University students attained perfect 4.0 grade-point averages to share Plummer Award honors as the top academic graduates in Lamar’s class of May 2012.

Area youngsters looking to improve their game will have numerous opportunities to do so at Lamar University. Lamar will offer camps in a variety of sports this summer on campus.

Lamar University now has a mobile recruiting center, the Cardinal Express, to take resources for prospective students on the road. The Cardinal Express is a 42-foot gooseneck trailer wrapped with images showcasing the opportunities available for students at Lamar University.

Seven Lamar University students in the master of business administration and master of science in accounting programs will travel to Beijing and Shanghai, China this week

World-renowned Houston trial lawyer David Beck, a Lamar University distinguished alumnus, delivered the honorary doctor of humane letters May 19, when he also was the keynote speaker at Lamar’s spring commencement in the Montagne Center.

Lamar University students, faculty and staff gathered May 3 in the University Reception Center of the Mary and John Gray Library to celebrate the 33rd annual Toast to Leadership.

The 2012-2012 LU Cheerleading Team includes 14 new members and 13 returning cheerleaders. The 20 women and seven men will cheer and tumble at Lamar University football and basketball games to help keep Cardinal spirit high.

Lamar University officials have released the list of graduate students participating in two commencement ceremonies May 19 at the Montagne Center. The list includes a record 27 doctoral students for Lamar from four programs of study

The National Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi initiated 102 Lamar University juniors and seniors into membership during the organization’s annual spring ceremony.

Lamar University has honored James Esser, university professor of psychology, as the Distinguished Faculty Lecturer for 2012. “Negotiating with Terrorists” will be the topic of his lecture to be presented at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13, in the University Theatre.

The Lamar University chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, international English honor society, inducted 11 students into membership during its annual initiation ceremony.

Since its inception in 2005, the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences’ Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) program has successfully trained a number of highly skilled audiologists to enter this rapidly growing profession.

World-renowned Houston trial lawyer David Beck, a Lamar University distinguished alumnus, will receive the honorary doctor of humane letters May 19, when he also will be the keynote speaker at Lamar’s spring commencement in the Montagne Center.

Lamar University invites students of all ages to a variety of summer camps to be held on campus this summer.

In response to national trends and tightening resources, Lamar University officials announced the ending of its Associate of Applied Science in Nursing degree program. The last students will begin the two-year program this fall.

Teacher-scholars from a variety of academic disciplines at Lamar University will present the results of a year of work as members of Faculty Learning Communities at an event Monday, May 14 in the Setzer Student Center Ballroom from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to attend and participate.

Lamar University’s Office of Recruitment now has a Mobile GO Center to take resources for prospective students on the road. Help is needed to find the perfect name for this rolling representative for Lamar University. A contest to name LU’s Mobile GO Center will run until 12 p.m. Tuesday, May 22.

Southeast Texas business leaders will have an opportunity to enhance their entrepreneurial skills at an upcoming seminar geared toward business owners and managers, civic leaders, executives and board members at non-profit organizations and governmental entities.

On Saturday, May 5, the Lamar University Dance Team will return to the Jefferson Theatre for the eighth annual Cabaret des Reves. While the Lamar dance team devotes its talent to supporting the Cardinals throughout football and basketball season each year, this annual event allows the team to showcase all of its talent.

The Phi Beta Delta honor society for international scholars initiated 24 new members from Lamar University at the organization’s induction ceremony April 30, marking the 21st anniversary of the founding of the Lamar chapter, Beta Xi.

Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum will be the site of a rowdy and raucous celebration of Beaumont before the boom, The Boomtown Ruckus, on Saturday, May 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the museum grounds.

Lamar University’s Dishman Art Museum will host an opening reception for “Body Work” from 7 to 9 p.m. May 4. Three students will fulfill their requirements for the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in photography degree by presenting their senior thesis projects.

The Lamar Civic Orchestra will bring two contrasting styles of music from the big band era to life at its spring concert, “Film and Swing,” at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 1.

With Governor Rick Perry’s appointment this week, Andrew Greenberg becomes the first Lamar University student to serve the Board of Regents of the Texas State University System as a student regent.

Lamar University has announced the naming of the Charles and Eleanor Garrett Engineering Center on the LU campus to recognize a major gift from the Garland couple whose company is one of the world's largest manufacturers of metal-detecting equipment. Their gift will enable funds that support both student scholarships and faculty enhancement.

Lamar University will host the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour (EET) April 24 with keynote speakers who are the world’s top entrepreneurs still in their 20s. The daylong event will introduce students and the community to the opportunities available through entrepreneurship, and to explore ways in which they can help drive the economy, create jobs for themselves and pursue their passions.

Pamela Saur, regents’ professor of German in the Lamar University Department of English and Modern Languages, has published a landmark book on Czech literary master Ernst Weiss. Its title is “Ernst Weiss: Life, Works and Legacy of a Czech Literary Master and Friend of Franz Kafka, 1882-1940.”

The Lamar University Student Government Association is supporting a referendum vote that will be the first step in the approval process for constructing a new student center on campus.

Open registration will begin Monday, April 23 for Lamar University’s May mini, summer and fall sessions.

Ann Die Hasselmo, a Lamar University distinguished alumna and a national leader and innovator in higher education, has realized a dream by creating and funding the Lamar University Faculty Excellence Endowment, LU officials announced Wednesday (April 11, 2012).

Lamar University has honored three faculty members with 2012 University Merit Awards in recognition of outstanding performance in the classroom.

Lamar University will host the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour (EET) April 24 with keynote speakers who are the world’s top entrepreneurs still in their 20s.

The University Press at Lamar University won 24 awards in competition of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA) for work published during 2011. The awards were announced at the organization's annual convention, held March 29-31 in Corpus Christi. The awards included seven first-place honors.

Lamar University honored Jerry Lin, professor of civil engineering, as the 2012 University Professor, with officials applauding him as a gifted teacher and one of Lamar’s premier researchers who has made a significant mark on the field of environmental science.

Lamar University public radio KVLU (91.3 FM) will host “An Evening of Jazz with Gerald Beckett” at 8 p.m. Friday, May 11. The concert featuring Beckett, who has been hailed as “one of the best jazz flautists in the business,” will be at Bistro LeMonde in Beaumont.

The Lamar University Jack Brooks Chair in Government and Public Service will host the 2012 Brooks Conference Thursday, April 19, in the Montagne Center. “Civic Engagement for Political Participation and Public Service” will be the conference theme.

Three Lamar University staff members will participate in the 22nd Annual Crime Victims’ Candlelight Vigil sponsored by the Jefferson County Coalition for Victims of Crime.

Tim Lightfoot, Omar Smith Endowed Professorship and director of the Sydney and J. L. Huffines Institute for Sports Medicine at Texas A&M University, will speak at 2 p.m. Friday, April 13, in Room 101 of the Education Building at Lamar University.

The Lamar University chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, international English honor society, will host its annual initiation ceremony at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 12, in the Dishman Art Museum lecture hall.

Lamar University has selected 10 students to serve as Lamar Ambassadors. They will join returning Ambassadors in representing the student body at official university events during the 2012-2013 academic year.

Twenty-six retirees – representing 586 years of service to Lamar University – received recognition April 3 during the university’s annual staff awards ceremony.

Five Lamar University employees earned Distinguished Staff Awards at Lamar’s annual staff recognition program.

Lamar University honored 108 employees with service awards at Lamar’s annual staff recognition program.

The university will briefly activate the sirens for a test at noon on Saturday, April 7. The university plans to briefly test the sirens on the first Saturday of each month at noon.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the installation of the Eisenstadt permanent collection, the Dishman Art Museum on the campus of Lamar University will offer free tours of the exhibit every Thursday in April. The half-hour tours will be conducted from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., with no appointment necessary.

Lamar University’s College of Business, in cooperation with the College of Fine Arts and Communication, will host Jesse Rosen, president and chief executive officer of League of American Orchestras, as ExxonMobil Executive in Residence April 10.

The Omega Upsilon Chapter of Order of Omega at Lamar University inducted 18 exemplary members of the Greek community and one staff member during its initiation ceremony on March 28.

Unfettered growth of Chinese tallow trees in the southeastern United States does not bode well for native bird species, Lamar University researchers say. The soon to be published findings are from research conducted in 2009 and 2010 by Katy Gifford, who graduated Lamar with a M.S. degree in 2010, under the direction of Jim Armacost, assistant professor of biology at Lamar.

Students entering Lamar University this fall will benefit from a new course specifically designed to help them successfully transition to college both academically and personally. Lamar 1101: University Success Seminar will help students develop a variety of skills and resources they will need throughout their college careers and after graduation.

Caki Wilkinson, winner of the Vassar Miller Prize in Poetry, will read from her work Thursday, March 29, at Lamar University.

What do Snooki, Tony Soprano and Dante’s “Divine Comedy” all have in common? They are all elements that inspired Lamar Opera Theatre’s update of “Gianni Schicchi,” a one-act farce based on an incident in Dante's epic poem. The opera will be performed in its original Italian, with English subtitles, at 7:30 p.m. March 30-31 in the Rothwell Recital Hall.

Southeast Texas business leaders will have an opportunity to enhance their entrepreneurial skills at an upcoming seminar geared toward business owners and managers, civic leaders, executives and board members at non-profit organizations and governmental entities.

The halls of the Dishman Art Museum on the campus of Lamar University will be enlivened this spring with the comical capers of critters large and small with the exhibition of “Curious Creatures: Art by Ursula Vernon” April 4-26. Vernon, a freelance illustrator, author and cartoonist, is best known for the popular children's book series “Dragonbreath,” which features the adventures of a young dragon named Danny as he makes his way in the world.

Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown, on the Lamar University campus, is seeking area athletes who would like to “step back in time” to play in a 1890s exhibition baseball game in May.

Romance. Elegance. Tropical paradise. It is the party of the year, and, this year, Le Grand Bal – “Some Enchanted Evening” – promises to transport guests to another time and place where romance reigns supreme and cares are washed away by the gentle winds of the South Pacific.

The Lamar University chapter of Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, will host Ted Goebel, associate director of the Center for the Study of the First Americans, in a free public lecture on Wednesday, March 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the Richard Price Auditorium, John Gray Center, Building A.

Three Lamar University senior electrical engineering seniors took top honors in the Annual Center for the Commercialization of Electric Technologies/Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Student Design Contest.

Lamar University students at the beginning of their collegiate careers will soon have an additional ally in their success with the introduction of a new Undergraduate Advising Center.

Lamar University invites new students planning to enroll in the fall to attend New Student Orientation on June 7, 14, 23 and July 14, 19, 26.

Christy Price, a nationally known expert on faculty development, will present two interactive faculty development sessions on Thursday and Friday at Lamar University in a visit sponsored by the Center for Teaching and Learning Enhancement.

The Lamar University Department of Mathematics hosted the annual Conference of Texas Statisticians (COTS) March 2-3 on the LU campus. Anthony Daspit, an LU math major from Nederland, won third prize at the conference poster presentation.

The Lin Scroggs Moore Memorial Scholarship in Mathematics will provide funds to exceptional students to further their studies at Lamar.

Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown, on the Lamar University campus, will celebrate Youth Art Month at its next Wildcatter Weekend on March 10, 2012, from 1 to 4 p.m. with a number of art activities, including a group mural around the base of the museum’s derrick.

At the March 6 Lamarissimo! concert, not only will audiences hear Lamar’s talented Wind Ensemble and Concert Band, but they will also be treated to performances by the award-winning Psalm 150 Gospel Choir and two vocal soloists. The program will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Julie Rogers Theatre.

The Lamar University chapter of Texas Nursing Student Association (TNSA) took second and third place in the Brain Bowl competition and earned other honors at the TNSA Annual Convention recently.

Richard Gachot remembers his grandfather showing him beautiful pictures when he was a boy. Those images, and the stories behind them, helped ignite his passion for art and design, a passion lived out in his career and studies in architecture and interior design. Now that passion has led to a history that expands Russians’ knowledge of one of their premier architects.

Six faculty members from the JoAnne Gay Dishman Department of Nursing recently earned statewide recognition for teaching innovation.

Sanderson’s saga of murder, mayhem and richly defined heroes and anti-heros takes another intriguing turn with “Dolph’s Team,” published recently by Ink Brush Press.

The Bangladesh Student Organization celebrated International Mother Language Day Feb. 21 with a ceremonial march from the Mary and John Gray Library to the Setzer Center quadrangle. The students and visitors placed wreaths of flowers at the Language Martyr’s Monument, erected by the students for the annual ceremony.

Lamar University MBA students will join students from 24 other leading business schools from around the world as they compete for recognition and $40,000 in prize money by exploring the significant and positive influence that well-managed business can have on society.

Black comedy, melodrama, horror and tragedy are themes that mark the adult drama “The Beauty Queen of Leenane” by Irish playwright Martin McDonagh. Directed by Lamar instructor Joel Grothe, “Beauty Queen” will run in the Studio Theatre Feb. 23–26.

Lamar University released its official Spring 2012 enrollment figure of 13,773 students today.

A total of 911 Lamar University students earned places on the Deans’ List for the 2011 fall semester, deans of Lamar’s five academic colleges announced.

A total of 471 Lamar University students earned places on the President’s List for the 2011 fall semester, President James Simmons announced.

The Lamar University Department of Mathematics is hosting the annual Conference of Texas Statisticians (COT) March 2-3 in the Science Auditorium on the LU campus.

Lamar University’s Office of the Provost and the Department of English and Modern Languages will host the Lamar Literary Festival Monday through Tuesday, Feb. 13-15. Readings by authors from Lamar and across the state will begin at 4 and 7 p.m. all three days in the Elvis Mason Room in the John Gray Center.

The Lamar University JoAnne Gay Dishman Department of Nursing will host an open house at the High-Fidelity Simulation Center in the Mamie McFadden Ward building Feb. 17 from 2-4 p.m. The public is invited to tour the state-of-the-art nursing simulation facility designed to emulate the actual hospital environment nursing majors will encounter upon graduation.

Lamar University alumni will be the featured guests when the Lamar Cardinals take on the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks Wednesday, Feb. 22, in the Montagne Center.

Lamar University conferred 1,132 degrees during commencement ceremonies on Dec. 17, 2011. Here are Lamar’s fall 2011 graduates and their majors, listed according to their hometowns. The list is based on information provided by the office of the registrar.

The Lamar University Department of History will host its third annual Texas History Day onThursday, Feb. 23, attracting students from high schools and middle schools across Southeast Texas.

Lamar University is seeking nominations for the 2012 honoree in the Distinguished Faculty Lecture Series, sponsored by ExxonMobil. Feb. 29 is the nomination deadline.

Lamar University students will notice changes to class schedules, including a slightly shorter semester, starting in Fall 2012. Fall classes will meet from Aug. 27 to Dec. 5.

The master of nursing online program in the Lamar University JoAnne Gay Dishman Department of Nursing has been ranked third in the nation for excellence in faculty credentials and training by U.S. News & World Report. The rankings were made public recently in the magazine’s 2012 edition of Top Online Education Programs.

Lamar University’s Ed.D. program in deaf studies and deaf education has been selected for a $500,000 incentive award by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, officials announced.

Lamar University’s early college entrance program for high school-aged students will offer its semiannual glimpse into the opportunities provided for mature, academically-focused students at its spring preview day, Saturday, Feb. 18.

On Tuesday, Jan. 31, Dr. Robert Ballard will share his adventures and scientific discoveries with more than 8,500 students, teachers and community members in the Montagne Center during a program hosted by the Jason Alliance of Southeast Texas.

Four notable Lamar University alumni will be honored as distinguished alumni Feb. 24. Jim Gilligan and Steve Moore will be honored as distinguished alumni. Don Pumphrey will be honored as distinguished alumnus for community service and Michele Smith as distinguished young alumna.

As a result of the long-standing partnership to focus on low-income initiatives, the Entergy Texas Charitable Foundation has awarded a grant to the Lamar University Community Outreach Program to develop a needs assessment study for rural areas of Southeast Texas.

High school students and college transfers will have an opportunity to learn about everything that Lamar University has to offer at a Spring Open House scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 25. An annual event, the Spring Open House is being expanded this year to give prospective students and their families more time to gather all the information they might need about Lamar University.

Students still have time to register for spring classes at Lamar University. Late registration for the Spring 2012 semester has been extended through the close of business Tuesday, Jan. 24. Today (Wednesday, Jan. 18) is the first class day of the semester.

The Dishman Art Museum at Lamar University will host "Home Sweet Home: Works by Jasmyne Graybill" Untitled by Jasmyne Graybill, polymer clay, glass resin dishJan. 20 - Feb. 23. "Home Sweet Home" features sculptures by San Antonio artist Graybill that borrow from the familiar forms of fungus, lichen and mold to reflect the intrinsic beauty of natural growth and decay.

The Lamar University Community Outreach Program was recently awarded a grant from Entergy Texas to enhance its activities by increasing earned income tax credit (EITC) awareness and education and providing tax preparation services, financial education and economic development.

The Lamar University Foundation has announced the establishment of a new endowed scholarship for nursing majors. The Lila and Hunter W. Henry, Jr. Scholarship, honoring the nurses in the Cardiovascular Recovery Unit at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center, will provide funds for students to further their studies in nursing.

Lamar University officials are expressing their gratefulness for the support they have seen in the university's first-ever campaign. The university's "Investing in the Future" comprehensive campaign has raised $95 million, nearing the $100 million goal with two years remaining in the seven-year effort, officials said. Now a new goal has been set at $125 million.

Lamar University public radio 91.3 KVLU will host “The Best of Eastern Canada” travel adventure Aug. 19– 27, 2012. The nine-day tour features stops in Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec City and Montreal, and will include a trip under the mighty Niagara Falls aboard the famed Maid of the Mist.

A total of 81 Lamar University students graduated with honors during winter commencement ceremonies Dec. 17 in the Montagne Center.

Five Lamar University students attained perfect 4.0 grade-point averages to share Plummer Award honors as the top academic graduates in Lamar’s class of December 2011. Earning Plummer Awards as top female graduates are Marianne Cowl of Liberty, who earned a bachelor of arts in French; Jami Sanders of Woodville, a bachelor of applied arts and sciences; and Katherine White of Orange, a bachelor of business in accounting. The male Plummer Award recipients are Ernesto Alvarez Jr. of Cotijo, Mexico, who earned a bachelor of arts in political science, and Ryan Grandusky of Temple, a bachelor of applied arts and sciences. Alvarez is a graduate of Port Arthur Memorial High School.

The holiday spirit comes to Lamar University public radio KVLU with a full complement of programs to enjoy during the coming days, including a special “Dugan on Classics” honoring the late Norma and Jerry White, longtime KVLU supporters. “The idea to pay tribute to the Whites came from one of our members, and we thought it was fitting considering their love of music,” said Al Dugan, host of the program that will air 9 to 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 30.

Recently posted statistics show LU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) graduates passed the Texas Board of Nursing National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses examination from October 2010 to September 2011 at a rate of more than 97 percent.

Lamar University has opened a new Admissions Visitors Center to better welcome prospective students and their families to campus. The new center is inside the John Gray Center, Building A, at 855 Jim Gilligan Way on the south end of campus across from Vincent Beck Stadium.

After a busy first semester as Lamar University’s new registrar, David Short is looking forward to overseeing his first commencement ceremony and to continuing to modernize operations for the benefit of LU students. Short was named registrar in September, replacing Sherry Benoit, who took on the new role of associate vice president of strategic enrollment management.

Barbara and Alan McNeill of Beaumont have established the Marie E. Gordon Presidential Scholarship in Nursing at Lamar University to honor the memory of Barbara McNeill’s mother – a multi-talented woman whose dreams of becoming a nurse were interrupted by the Great Depression.

Southeast Texas business leaders will have an opportunity to enhance their entrepreneurial skills at an upcoming seminar geared toward business owners and managers, civic leaders, executives and board members at non-profit organizations and governmental entities. Lamar University is partnering with INVISTA to host a seminar on Tuesday, January 10 titled “Unleashing the Entrepreneurial Potential of Your Organization.”

Two students from Lamar University’s Ad Fed were on the first and third place teams for the American Advertising Federation – Houston Student Conference/Competition, taking home trophies for their win. Six Lamar University Ad Fed students participated in the November competition.

From Gladys City Nights to Wildcatter Weekends to daily forays into living history, Lamar University’s Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum is the place to be for education and entertainment. And the driving force behind all of the activity is Mark Osborne, who, during almost nine months as the museum’s director, has instituted an exciting lineup of things to do at the re-created boomtown that celebrates the discovery of oil at Spindletop on Jan. 10, 1901.

Lamar University’s Dishman Art Museum will host “Telling the Story,” in which four students fulfill their requirements for the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design by presenting their senior thesis projects Dec. 2-20.

Lamar University’s Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum will embrace the joy of the Christmas season with HOLIDAZE! at Gladys City – a Wildcatter Weekend special event – on Dec. 10 and 11. The museum buildings and grounds will be decorated and bustling with people preparing for the holiday season, much like the boomtown in the early 1900s would have been.

The Lamar University Department of Student Development and Leadership recently announced a new volunteerism opportunity for student organizations and university departments to assist the Southeast Texas Food Bank. Operation R.E.D. (Reaching Every Doorstep) is a partnership between Lamar and the local food bank that will feature faculty, staff and students volunteering at the facility each Friday beginning the spring 2012 semester.

Lamar University’s Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum is pleased to welcome Diane Rose, “The Amazing Quilter”, as guest speaker on Dec. 15 during the museum’s December Gladys City Nights event. The free event will begin at 6 p.m. with Rose speaking at 6:30 p.m. A reception will follow in the museum’s Log Cabin Saloon.

Lamar University is scheduled to confer 1,149 degrees at winter commencement Saturday, Dec. 17, in the Montagne Center. State Senator Brian Birdwell, a decorated military veteran and graduate of Lamar, will be the keynote speaker. The ceremonies will begin at 9:30 a.m. for the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business and Engineering and at 1:30 p.m. for the Colleges of Education and Human Development and Fine Arts and Communication and the Center for General Studies.

In her life, in her deeds and in her heart, Antoinette Mays defines what it means to help others. Following the example set by her mother, grandmother, aunts and other family members when she was young, Mays embarked on a mission of service. A. MaysBecause of her devotion to dozens of organizations and causes, Lamar University selected her as its 2011 recipient of the Julie and Ben Rogers Community Service Award.

Chelsea Barnard of Port Neches and Elisabeth Maxwell of Beaumont have been chosen as the 2012 recipients of Lamar University’s most prestigious undergraduate award, the David J. Beck Fellowship.David J. Beck Fellows Chelsea Barnard and Elisabeth Maxwell with LU President James Simmons This is the first time in the four-year history of the fellowship that two David J. Beck Fellows have been chosen in a single year and the first time that a student has been selected twice. Maxwell also is the 2011 David J. Beck Fellow.

The 2011 football season marked the second year Lamar University has worked to get the campus and the community more involved in supporting the Lamar Cardinals with the annual Get Your Red On promotion. Many departments on the LU campus participated in the GYRO decoration contests, vying for prizes and bragging rights. More than 10,000 visitors to the GYRO website voted each home game week for their favorite campus decorations.

Individuals and groups interested in helping with holiday preparations at Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown, on the Lamar University campus, are encouraged to attend a volunteer orientation on Sunday, Nov. 27, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Gladys City Visitors Center to learn more about how they can help.

The Lamar University Foundation Inc. will host a program and reception Wednesday, Nov. 30, to honor the four recipients of the 2011 Julie and Ben Rogers Community Service Award. Regina Rogers, representing the Rogers family, will present the awards during a program in the Dr. Richard L. Price Auditorium of the John Gray Center, 855 Jim Gilligan Way in Beaumont.

Orchestral works associated with ballet and other dance arts will be the order of the evening when the Lamar Civic Orchestra presents its fall concert, “Invitation to the Dance,” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29. The free performance will be in the Setzer Student Center Ballroom on the campus of Lamar University.

The newly published issue of the Texas Gulf Historical and Biographical Record marks the beginning of a formal association between the Texas Gulf Historical Society and the Lamar University Department of History. The history department has assumed full editorial responsibility for the Record, which the society started in 1964 and has published annually since 1965, said past editor John Storey, distinguished professor emeritus of history and former department chair.

The Lamar University officials responsible for trademarks and licensing have announced the confiscation of nearly $2,700 worth of unlicensed merchandise bearing LU trademarks, names and logos. The university’s licensing program has grown significantly with the return of the football program in 2010 and consequently so has the market for unlicensed LU products.

Lamar University’s Early Childhood Development Center, which has provided care and instruction for the children of faculty, staff, students and the community for more than 25 years, will close in May 2012 as a result of the university’s $15 million state budget cut.

Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown, on the Lamar University campus, will offer its third Gladys City Nights evening on Thursday, November 17, from 6-9 p.m. in the museum’s Log Cabin Saloon. “We had such a great time in October that we decided to try an open mic night, this month,” said museum director Mark Osborne.

Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown, on the Lamar University campus, will celebrate the fall harvest at its next Wildcatter Weekend on November 12 and 13, from 1 to 4 p.m. each day with art activities that make use of fruits, vegetables and nuts, such as blueberries, beets, squash and acorns.

Harley Myler, professor and electrical engineering department chair at Lamar University, has been selected for a Fulbright Specialists project in Tunisia at the EHigher Institute of Engineering and Technology (ESPRIT ) during February 2012, according to the United States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Prospective students from all undergraduate majors can learn more about the advantages of pursuing an MBA at Lamar University at an Open House scheduled for 6 p.m. November 14 in Landes Auditorium of the Galloway Business Building. With accelerated evening and early morning classes, the MBA program at LU offers flexible options for students interested in earning a graduate degree in business.

Lamar University will honor the sacrifice, commitment and service of veterans on Veterans Day, Friday, Nov. 11 with a ceremony, “Remembering our Heroes,” presented by the 23rd Cardinal Command and the Alpha Upsilon Chapter of Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity. The ceremony will take place in the quadrangle at Lamar University at 11 a.m.

Lamar University Athletics officials have announced the opening night basketball doubleheader will honor all U.S. veterans. On “Veterans Appreciation Day” all veterans will receive free admission to the games and no veteran’s identification is required. The November 11 doubleheader will tip-off at 5 p.m. as the Lamar women take on Our Lady of the Lake University.

Diane Halpern, the Trustee Professor of Psychology and the founding director of the Berger Institute for Work, Family, and Children at Claremont McKenna College, will present two interactive sessions on Nov. 10-11 designed to help Lamar University faculty members improve their use of active learning instruction in their classrooms.

Stuart Wright, professor of sociology at Lamar University, will deliver a lecture discussing his new book “Saints under Siege: The Texas Raid on the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints” in the Dishman Art Museum Auditorium on Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 3 p.m.

Incoming Lamar University students, just like college students across Texas, will need a vaccination against bacterial meningitis to attend classes on campus starting in Spring 2012. To comply with Texas Senate Bill 1107, also known as the Jamie Schanbaum and Nicolis Williams Act, all new students under age 30 who attend on-campus classes must receive a vaccination against bacterial meningitis or meet specific criteria for declining a vaccination. The requirement also applies to students returning after a break in enrollment for at least one fall or spring semester.

It’s been 50 years since the class of 1961 graduated from Lamar University, back when the top songs on the radio included Dion’s “Runaround Sue,” Neil Sedaka’s “Calendar Girl,” Patsy Cline’s “Crazy” and Ben E. King’s timeless ballad, “Stand By Me.” 1961 was also the year Haley Mills played twins in “The Parent Trap,” Natalie Wood played Maria in “West Side Story,” and John F. Kennedy was sworn in to office as the 35th president.

The 22nd season of the Lamarissimo! Concert Series continues Thursday, Nov. 3, with performances by faculty artists from Lamar University’s Mary Morgan Moore Department of Music. The concert, sponsored byAmerican Valve & Hydrant Manufacturing Co., starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Julie Rogers Theatre in downtown Beaumont.

Lamar University’s Department of Mathematics will host the Conference of Texas Statisticians March 2-3, 2012. Kumer Pial Das, associate professor of statistics at Lamar, is conference chair. The yearly conference of all academic and practitioner statisticians, has met annually since 1981, includes plenary talks by well-known statisticians, sessions for young researchers, and poster sessions for undergraduate and graduate students.

Registration begins this week for Lamar University’s winter mini-session and Spring 2012 semester. Academic advisement for current students began last week and is continuing. Registration for special populations – which includes athletes, honors students, seniors and students with disabilities – begins Thursday, Nov. 3. Open registration begins Thursday, Nov. 10.

As a child, George Irwin wanted to be a paleontologist when he grew up, and in college he set out to be an electrical engineer. Instead, he became a physicist and educator – much to the benefit of the Lamar University students he has taught and mentored over the past 15 years.

When Mary Johnson graduated from Lamar University in 2000 with a bachelor of arts in English, the former nun hadn’t quite reconciled with her decision to leave the Missionaries of Charity. After 20 years of devoted service to the poor under the administration of Mother Teresa, Johnson needed 10 years and “a room of her own” to reflect on her experiences.

A new tool implemented this fall is helping Lamar University students better track their progress toward graduation. Students, academic advisers and staff members in the Records Office now have access to Degree Audit within the university’s Self-Service Banner system. The tool allows all parties to see the same information about what courses students have successfully completed and what courses still are required for students’ chosen degree plans.

Lamar University Department of Theatre & Dance’s production of “Slasher” promises to open HalloweenTwo students rehearse Slasher play weekend with a scream. The hilarious play about the filming of a low-budget horror flick premieres Thursday, Oct. 27, in the Studio Theatre, and runs through Oct. 31.

Lamar University today announced its first licensing agreement with a commercial company to market and sell a university-developed emergency alert system placed inside passenger vehicles. The patent-pending device will significantly increase safety for First Responders and Texas drivers and passengers.

Lamar University's MBA program has been listed in the Aspen Institute's Beyond Grey Pinstripes Global Top 100 for MBA programs for 2011. Beyond Grey Pinstripes is a biennial survey and alternative ranking of accredited business schools worldwide that highlights innovative full-time MBA programs integrating social, ethical and environmental stewardship into the curriculum and research.

Lamar University President James Simmons dedicated the Dauphin Athletic Complex on campus Wednesday in recognition of a $2 million gift to the university’s Investing in the Future campaign from Charline and Robin Dauphin and in memory of Sidney “Chief” Dauphin.

A master class in hip-hop Sunday, Oct. 23, will benefit the Lamar University Dance Team, which is hosting the event. Brixey Blankenship, LU Dance Team coordinator, and Justin Streeter, a local hip-hop instructor, will teach the class from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Fitness Studio in the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Sports Center.

The Dishman Art Museum on the campus of Lamar University will host “Anandam: Collages by MG Raffic Ahamed,” opening Oct. 28. The word “anandam,” or bliss, refers to the creative process that inspires Indian artist Raffic to create his richly colorful collages. The exhibition of four dozen multi-media collages will run through Nov. 23.

The Ruxpins, a local band, are ready to “rock” the Log Cabin Saloon at Lamar University’s Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 20. The event is part of the “Gladys City Nights” program which features guest speakers, films, music and special activities for adults followed by a reception with a cash bar in the museum’s Log Cabin Saloon.

When the 2011 homecoming queen is crowned at the Lamar vs. Central Arkansas homecoming football game on Saturday, Oct. 22, she will join a legacy of ladies including the legendary Miller sisters, who reigned during the late 1940s, and one shy beauty who braved an elephant ride during her campaign in 1958.

As part of an effort to better use resources and better serve students, Lamar University has reorganized its admissions office, centralizing undergraduate, graduate and international admissions into a single department. “We’re excited about it because it brings together all university admissions processing and allows us to respond to applicants more quickly,” said Melissa Gallien, director of admissions.

As part of an effort to better use resources and better serve students, Lamar University has reorganized its admissions office, centralizing undergraduate, graduate and international admissions into a single department. “We’re excited about it because it brings together all university admissions processing and allows us to respond to applicants more quickly,” said Melissa Gallien, director of admissions.

Pamela Saur, regents’ professor of German in the Lamar University Department of English and Modern Languages, has been appointed to an advisory board for an international scholarly organization supported by the United Nations.

Lamar University business students will have a new way to expand their knowledge of financial markets and gain new perspectives on the day-to-day global nature of monetary environments thanks to the generosity of Craig and Judy Fecel of Houston.

Amid chants of “Beat those Demons!” and cheers of “Go Big Red,” children at Lamar University’s Early Childhood Development Center got their red on Thursday to cheer on the Cardinals. Almost 100 youngsters, ranging in age from 18 months to 5 years, donned Cardinal colors – and Cardinal spirit – for the “Little Red Rally.”

A new scholarship in the Lamar University Foundation honors the late Joseph Adam Baj II, who served 33 years on the Lamar University faculty. The Joseph Adam Baj II Memorial Scholarship will provide funding for outstanding students majoring in mathematics.

Social workers, gymnastics coaches, medical doctors, and a university president are among the men and women who have cheered for the Lamar Cardinals – some of whom have lived as far away as Edinburgh, Scotland, while others still reside here in Beaumont. But when the Lamar University alumni cheerleaders reunite at this year’s homecoming game on Oct. 22, they will join together once again to do what they all love to do: cheer for Lamar.

Get Your Red On – Lamar University Homecoming 2011 will celebrate ties that bind campus and community as students, alumni, government leaders, businesses and individuals don Cardinal colors during the week of Oct. 17-22.

Texas State University System Chancellor Brian McCall and Lamar University President James Simmons joined Tuesday (Oct. 4, 2011) in announcing the appointment of William F. Scott of Nederland to the TSUS Board of Regents. Gov. Rick Perry appointed Scott for a term to expire Feb. 1, 2013. Scott is chairman and CEO of Trans-Global Solutions and a graduate of Lamar University.

The 22nd season of the Lamarissimo! Concert Series opens Thursday, Oct. 6, with a performance by the Lamar University Jazz Ensemble featuring guest trumpeter Walter White, formerly with the Maynard Ferguson Big Band. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Julie Rogers Theatre.

High school students from Southeast Texas will have opportunities to test their mathematics abilities and learn about many areas of science at the annual Lamar University Mathematics Festival — MathFest! 2011 — October 19 at the university’s John Gray Center.

For the first time since the 1986 season, the Lamar University Cardinals will be involved in a Southland Conference football race when they take on Southeastern Louisiana University Saturday in a 3 p.m. game in 7,408-seat Strawberry Stadium.

With the creation of a new Division of Strategic Enrollment Management, Lamar University is working to Sherry Benoitbetter serve students from the time they begin considering LU as their college choice until they leave as successful graduates. The new division, which officially got its start on Sept. 1, is led by Sherry Benoit, associate vice president for strategic enrollment management. Benoit previously served as Lamar University’s registrar.

High achieving high school juniors and seniors are encouraged to find out what Lamar University has to offer by registering for Academic Open House, scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 5 on campus. The Academic Open House will begin at 10 a.m. in the University Theatre and is expected to conclude by 2 p.m. Check in will begin at 9:30 a.m.

Bette Stead, a 1957 graduate of Lamar, is the first woman to be inducted into the Lamar University College of Business Hall of Fame. An author and former LU faculty member, Stead holds a master’s degree from the University of Texas and a doctorate from the University of Houston.

Lamar is creating opportunities for the students of the City College of Kunming University of Science and Technology in Southwestern China. Lamar has established an exchange program that allows students from Kunming to attend Lamar for a year during their college career.

After several years helping exceptional students enter Lamar University’s College of Engineering, Katrina Brent will be engineering her own future thanks to the “Grow Your Own” Scholarship awarded by The Texas State University System. Brent has been chosen as the recipient of the Grow Your Own scholarship, which will provide her financial assistance to complete her doctoral degree.

Lamar University public radio 91.3 KVLU will implement major program changes to weekday evenings beginning Oct. 1. “Jazz Tonight,” a new program hosted by Byron Balentine, station manager for operations, will air from 7 to 9 p.m. following the NPR news program “All Things Considered.”

Lamar University public radio 91.3 KVLU will begin its annual fall fund drive Tuesday, Oct. 4, with a scheduled end date of Friday, Oct. 14. A goal of $50,000 has been set for the 10-day campaign, themed “Jump Right In.”

Lamar University computer science students will have access to training in new cutting-edge computer programming techniques thanks to the university being named a NVIDIA CUDA Teaching Center following the submission of a proposal by computer science professor Quoc-Nam Tran.

Tess Pape, associate professor of nursing at Lamar University, is a recipient of the Professional Issues Writer’s Award from MEDSURG Nursing: The Journal of Adult Health. Pape shares the award with co-author Ruth Roberts for their article “Scholarship in Nursing: Not an Isolated Concept,” published in the January/February issue of MEDSURG Nursing. The article discusses how nurses working in hospitals can contribute to academic research in terms of policies, procedures and patient care.

Lamar University has set another all-time enrollment record, officials announced today. Official figures for the fall 2011 semester taken on the 20th class day show Lamar has set the highest enrollment in the university’s 88-year history. More specifically, Lamar's headcount is 14,522, up 1 percent over last fall's record enrollment of 14,388.

The Dishman Art Museum at Lamar University will exhibit “Hidden Worlds: Paintings by Page Laughlin" Sept. 23 through Oct. 21. The North Carolina artist’s paintings have received acclaim for their rich, vibrant colors and bold exploration of the interior landscape of people’s lives.

Lamar University’s Department of Theatre & Dance will open the 2011-12 season Sept. 22 with the suspenseful British parlor drama “An Inspector Calls” by J.B. Priestley. Directed by senior theatre major Bonnie Dupuis of Groves and starring Lamar instructor Joel Grothe in the title role, the play will run through Sept. 25 in the University Theatre.

Linda Nilson, director of the Office of Teaching Effectiveness and Innovation at Clemson University, will present three sessions on Sept. 27-28 designed to help Lamar University faculty members improve their use of active learning instruction in their classrooms.

The Lamar University Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi will host a lecture by Elena Ivanova, chief educator at the Stark Museum of Art, Thursday, Sept. 29, on the Lamar campus. Ivanova will speak on “Text, Sound, Image: The Russian Avant-Garde Book” from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Spindletop Room of the University Reception Center, on the eighth floor of the Mary and John Gray Library.

Lamar University conferred 1,172 degrees during commencement ceremonies on August 13, 2011. Here are Lamar’s summer 2011 graduates and their majors, listed according to their hometowns. The list is based on information provided by the office of the registrar.

The Texas Academy of Leadership in the Humanities (TALH) will host prospective students, parents and high school administrators at the program’s Fall Preview Day on Saturday, Oct. 8, for an informative glimpse into Lamar University’s early-entrance college program for outstanding high school sophomores.

Tipton Golias ‘62, founder, president and CEO of Helena Laboratories Corp., will speak to Lamar University students as part of the Entrepreneurship Lecture Series Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 11 a.m. in Landes Auditorium in the Galloway Building. “As a very successful entrepreneur, Tipton Golias' visit will serve as encouragement to the growing number of students thinking about including entrepreneurship as part of their careers”, said Henry Venta, dean of the Lamar University College of Business.

Embracing the goal of spreading great ideas, several Lamar University MBA students are bringing a TEDx event to Lamar University from 1-5 p.m. this Friday (Sept. 16) in the University Reception Center on the eighth floor of the Mary and John Gray Library. This independently organized event will follow the format developed by TED, a non-profit organization dedicated to “ideas worth spreading” with annual conferences and a website featuring hundreds of free TED Talks on a variety of topics.

Business students at Lamar University will have new opportunities to be inspired to create new businesses thanks to the generosity of LU alumnus Michael Weinert. Weinert, who holds two graduate degrees from Lamar University, established The Michael G. Weinert Entrepreneurship Lecture Series Endowment to provide funds to bring dynamic, high-profile entrepreneurs to the university for lectures in entrepreneurship.

Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum, on the Lamar University campus, will launch a new series of monthly evening programs called "Gladys City Nights", from 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 15 as part of a renewed effort to provide educational and entertaining programming at the museum.

The Department of Theatre & Dance had one main goal in mind when planning the 2011-12 season: involve the audience in a wide range of interesting productions. “We wanted to select shows that we felt would be audience pleasing,” said Judy Sebesta, department chair. “In ‘An Inspector Calls,’ there is a mystery of sorts, and we felt that held lots of audience appeal. We also have a hilarious dark comedy with Slasher, and conclude the season with a very popular Broadway and touring show, ‘Twenty-Fifth Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.’”

The Lamar University Foundation has announced a new endowed scholarship, established by the Jefferson County Medical Alliance for nursing, pre-medicine and pre-physical therapy students at Lamar University.

Margaret Ann Randall left provisions in her will to create three new scholarships at Lamar University in memory of her parents, grandson and to honor her son. The scholarships will provide funds for students of all majors to further their studies in higher education.

Elisabeth Maxwell still thrills at the memory of seeing a pajama shark swim right in front of her as she snorkeled during her internship with the South African Shark Conservancy in Hermanus, South Africa, this summer. She can still picture the gorgeous, smooth-as-glass Breede River during a boat trip to the location where researchers had caught a world-record bull shark not long before.

Lamar University’s Ku-yen Li, professor of chemical engineering, will be honored as a regents’ professor by The Texas State University System (TSUS). Li will be formally recognized at its quarterly board of regents’ meeting.

A new scholarship has been established in memory of James Smith, a longtime Beaumont educator and leader. Smith’s family, former students and friends established the James G. Smith Memorial Scholarship through their gifts to the Lamar University Foundation. The endowment will provide funds for science majors seeking teacher certification.

To celebrate the second season of the return of collegiate football to Southeast Texas, Lamar University is reminding fans to “get their red on” – starting with the home opening at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3, in Provost Umphrey Stadium.

Lamar University and Lamar Institute of Technology will recognize Constitution Day Wednesday, Sept. 14, with a program focusing on slavery and the Constitution. Jeff Forret, associate professor of history, and Paul Griffith, associate professor of English and modern languages, will speak at the event, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the Conference Center of the Multipurpose Building, 802 E. Lavaca on the LIT campus. The program is open to the public without charge. Refreshments will be served after the program.

Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum, on the Lamar University campus, will launch a new series of monthly evening programs called “Gladys City Nights,” from 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 15 as part of a renewed effort to provide educational and entertaining programming at the museum.

Lamar University College Panhellenic Council will hold formal recruitment Sept.9 – 12, 2011. Formal recruitment is a four-day process when potential members are given the opportunity to meet with active members of each sorority and learn about Greek Life at Lamar. At the end of formal recruitment, potential members will have been provided with an in-depth look at the uniqueness that each sisterhood holds.

The kickoff time for Lamar University’s 2011 season-opening game on Sept. 3 has been changed to 7:30 p.m.

Girls in kindergarten through eighth grade will have a chance to rev up routines for Saturday night lights when Lamar University hosts a Spirit Team Football Clinic Saturday, Sept. 10. The clinic will be in the Montagne Center, with registration from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. and instruction and activities from 9 a.m. to noon. Participants will learn routines they will perform at the Sept. 17 home football game in Provost Umphrey Stadium. The Lamar Cardinals will take on the Cardinals of San Antonio’s Incarnate Word in the 7 p.m. grid match-up.

Within a year, the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA) chapter at Lamar Students promoting pancake saleUniversity went from defunct to distinguished, and Gina Watson, faculty advisor for the organization, credits students in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences for the achievement.

Students still have time to register for fall classes at Lamar University. Late registration for the Fall 2011 semester has been extended through the close of business Friday, Aug. 26. Today (Monday, Aug. 22) is the first class day of the semester. University officials decided to extend the registration deadline as a service to students, especially those whose educational plans might have changed.

The Lamar University Foundation has added five new trustees to its board. Joining the foundation are Sandra Clark, Colby Crenshaw, Dr. Mike Kessler, Bart Simmons and J. Mark Smith.

Eight Lamar University students graduated with honors during summer commencement ceremonies Aug. 13 in the Montagne Center.

Lamar University has selected Jason Goodrich, a 16-year law enforcement veteran, as chief of police, officials announced today. Goodrich will begin his duties Sept. 13. “We are very pleased to bring Chief Goodrich to Lamar University,” said Gregg Lassen, vice president for finance and operations. “He brings tremendous qualifications and experience to the position as well as a keen knowledge of policing in the university environment.

While tackling challenges resulting from state funding cuts, Lamar University remains steadfast in its commitment to the success of its students, President James Simmons told faculty and staff attending the annual back-to-school convocation. “Our mission is higher-education instruction and scholarship with a commitment to high quality,” Simmons said Monday (Aug. 15, 2011) as more than 500 gathered in the University Theatre to mark the start of the 2011-2012 academic year.

Lamar University renamed its Cardinal Village residence halls today, bringing back four names well known to its alumni and adding a new name, that of its first African American faculty member, to the roster. A standing-room-only crowd of descendants and friends of the families of the honorees joined James Simmons,Monroe president of the university, and other university and community dignitaries, for a brief ceremony in the lobby of the Commons Building of Cardinal Village Phase 5 – which was soon renamed Monroe Hall in honor of Claude E. Monroe who joined Lamar’s business faculty as associate professor of economics in 1969, becoming the university’s first African American faculty member.

Lamar University is among the nation’s Top 100 universities to confer the most graduate degrees among minority students a recent study found. The magazine Diverse: Issues in Higher Education recently released its annual “Top 100 Bachelor’s Degrees Conferred” report and Lamar ranked in the Top 100 in numerous categories.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) announced today the launch of “Grad TX” (pronounced “Grad Texas”), a program designed to help adults return to college and finish their bachelor’s degrees. Offered by eight Texas universities, including Lamar University, Grad TX targets the more than 40,000 adults in Texas who “stopped out” of college with 90 or more credit hours, but have not finished the 120 credit hour requirement to receive a bachelor’s degree.

Holly Bruder, a coach who has established a reputation for building fledgling softball programs, was named the head softball coach at Lamar University, Interim Director of Athletics Jason Henderson announced today. Lamar, which had softball from 1983 to 1987, is reviving its softball program starting with the 2013 season.

Lamar University’s Early Childhood Development Center, a National Association for Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accredited program, has openings for its 12-month and 9-month programs, said center director Margaret Swope. The Center, at 950 Jim Gilligan Way, is licensed by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and is the only NAEYC-accredited program in Southeast Texas. The center is fully staffed by degreed and state-certified teachers.

Four Lamar University students experienced weightlessness as they conducted their carefully crafted experiment aboard a reduced-gravity aircraft on July 12 and 13 as part of the “Grant Us Space” program of NASA’s National Space Grant Consortium. The four became the 12th LU team to experience weightlessness since student flights began in 1995.

Ten Lamar University undergraduate computer science students are taking on the role of teacher this week asKathryn Ballard, David Hemmenway, Elizabeth Hancock they lead a workshop to teach K-12 school teachers fundamental computing concepts and help the teachers develop curriculum materials for the coming year.

Eighteen area high school and middle school students recently learned how to program computer games andEthan Hasson and Valerie Hunter build their own web pages at an innovative computer science academy hosted by Lamar University’s INSPIRED – Increasing Student Participation In Research Development - program and supported by a National Science Foundation Broadening Participation in Computing grant and grants from ExxonMobil.

Veteran music educator Barry Johnson, vice president for student affairs at Lamar University, will enter the Phi Beta Mu Texas Bandmasters Hall of Fame at the Texas Bandmasters Association annual convention July 26 in San Antonio. The international bandmasters fraternity selected Johnson for the prestigious honor in recognition of his outstanding accomplishments as a band director, teacher and mentor. Johnson’s career spans almost 50 years in which he inspired decades of students at Texas high schools, as well as Lamar University.

Former Houston Oilers coach and Lamar University alumnus O.A. “Bum” Phillips will be interviewed on the next “LUTV on Fox” episode to premiere at 1:30 p.m.Sunday, July 24. A Southeast Texas native, Phillips played football and attended Lamar in the 1940s. KBTV Fox 4 sports anchor James Ware conducted the in-depth interview. Ware is also an alumnus of Lamar.

The fall 2011 semester will mark the arrival of the latest class of Mirabeau Scholars to Lamar University. “The Mirabeau Scholarship is one of the most prestigious and competitive scholarships we offer,” said Stephen Doblin, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Mirabeau Scholars are held to a higher level of academic and extra-classroom performance because these students are among our best and brightest.”

Lamar University will host tryoutsSaturday, July 23, to select Big Red mascots for upcoming Cardinal athletic seasons. Big Red – the spirit of Lamar University – will join the Cheerleading Team and Dance Team to perform at home football and basketball games, as well as other campus and community events, said Kristyn Henderson, cheer and mascot coordinator.

Lamar University’s online programs have moved to the head of the class with the approval of its proposed online Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board today. The degree, which will be offered through a 100-percent online program, builds upon the university’s experience in online education and its expertise in education as a NCATE-accredited institution of higher learning.

Meeting the needs of college students today requires employing new student-centered learning methods. What worked even 10 years ago may no longer be effective. Armed with this understanding, Lamar University is continuing its commitment to redesign courses in ways that engage students as active participants in the learning process.

A Lamar University student team will fly an experiment aboard a reduced-gravity aircraft in July as part of the "Grant Us Space" program of NASA’s National Space Grant Consortium becoming the 12th LU team to experience weightlessness since student flights began in 1995.

Twenty-three students enhanced their mathematics skills at the Lamar Achievement in Mathematics Program (LAMP), a two-week free residential camp for high school students entering 10th and 11th grades.

While season tickets offer fans the same great, guaranteed seats to every home football game, Lamar athletics understands that not every fan can commit to attending all six games that the 2011 season has to offer. But thanks to the newest offering by the Cardinals’ ticket office, Lamar fans can still enjoy some of the biggest games of the season and save money.

As the university addresses a $15 million budget cut in state support, administrators are focusing on the university’s core missions of teaching and research as they make budget adjustments. All auxiliary operations are being evaluated to determine if they are the best way to continue to do business or if more efficient and effective means are possible, officials said.

A Lamar University student team will fly an experiment aboard a reduced-gravity aircraft in July as part of the “Grant Us Space” program of NASA’s National Space Grant Consortium becoming the 12th LU team to experience weightlessness since student flights began in 1995. The students will travel to NASA Johnson Space Center’s Ellington Field in Houston to conduct their micro-gravity experiments aboard the modified Boeing 727 aircraft operated by Zero-G Corp.

Lamar University’s Department of Earth and Space Sciences 16th annual Teaching Environmental Science summer institute introduced Southeast Texas' EC-12 teachers – and students studying to become teachers -- to local environmental issues through first-hand experiences. The participants concluded the two-week course on the Neches River where they learned about programs to prevent and contain oil spills in local coastal waters.

Lamar University conferred 1,507 degrees during commencement ceremonies on May 14. Here are Lamar’s spring 2011 graduates and their majors, listed according to their hometowns. The list is based on information provided by the office of the registrar.

Fourteen Southeast Texas science teachers and future teachers learned about the local environment recently Hilary Allen catches grass shrimpwith field trips throughout the area in Lamar University’s Department of Earth and Space Sciences 16th annual Teaching Environmental Science summer institute.

A total of 398 Lamar University students earned places on the President’s List for the 2011 spring semester, President James Simmons announced. Students who qualify for the President’s List carry a full course load of 12 semester hours or more with grade point averages of 4.0 for that semester. They automatically earn places on the Deans’ List.

A total of 746 Lamar University students earned places on the Deans’ List for the 2011 spring semester, deans of Lamar University’s five academic colleges announced. To qualify for the Deans’ List, a student must carry a full course load of 12 semester hours or more and have grade-point averages of 3.5 or above for that semester.

Lamar University educator and writer Paul Griffith explores the visionary realm of folklore in a new book inspired by stories that intrigued him as a child growing up in Barbados. The result is “Wha’ Sweeten Goat Mout’: Short Caribbean Tales,” recently released by PublishAmerica.

As Lamar University’s David J. Beck Fellow for 2011, Elisabeth Maxwell of Beaumont is spending the summer in Hermanus, South Africa as an intern with the South African Shark Conservancy. Maxwell, 20, a sophomore biology major, plans a career as a marine biologist and sees the internship as an excellent opportunity to gain experience in the field of marine conservation and management.

The Lamar University Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) has scheduled a perennial favorite, the Lamar Superkids 2011 program. The summer program will begin the week of June 20 with classes held Monday through Thursday 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. and a 1:30 p.m. dismissal time each Friday. The program consists of four week-long sessions through the week of July 18-22 with no classes scheduled for the week of July 4.

Charles and Frances Alberto, both longtime community leaders in Beaumont, have established a new scholarship in the Lamar University Foundation. The Charles V. and Frances W. Alberto Scholarship will be available to all majors.

Former NASA astronaut Bernard Harris will visit students attending the summer science camp bearing his name June 14 at the Shangri La Botanical Gardens in Orange. The media is invited to attend from 10 – 11 a.m. asB Harris Harris interacts with campers of the ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp. The annual science camp is sponsored by the ExxonMobil Foundation and held at Lamar University. Shangri La is a perennial partner and special presenter for the summer camp.

ExxonMobil employees who are alumni of Lamar University, or whose family member attends or has attended Lamar, made good use of the company’s generous matching gift program in 2010. Daniel Risso, ExxonMobil Beaumont Refinery plant manager, and Rob Tully, Beaumont Chemical Plant site manager, presented Lamar University President James Simmons with a matching gift check of $134,470 Friday.

The Press Club of Southeast Texas honored Lamar University President James Simmons as Newsmaker of the Decade at its 20th Annual Awards Banquet June 3. Simmons was selected by the club members as Newsmaker of the Decade for his extraordinary leadership at Lamar University during a decade in which there have been major improvements in facilities, academics and research, more than $80 million raised in the university's first-ever comprehensive campaign, expansion in enrollment despite two major hurricanes, and the much-celebrated return of college football to the university.

A new scholarship has been established in the Lamar University Foundation in honor of Howell H. Gwin Jr., a longtime history professor at Lamar University. Elizabeth Smith Gwin, Howell’s mother, established the Dr. Howell H. Gwin Jr. Scholarship in History to honor her son’s commitment to teaching and academic service.

Thirty-five students from 18 area high schools will visit Lamar University and CHRISTUS Hospitals St. Elizabeth and St. Mary Friday and Saturday, June 10 and 11, to gain first-hand experience in the nursing and medical professions.

Lamar University’s Hospitality Management program recently hosted its seventh annual Hospitality Challenge 2011 with students from area high schools competing in three categories of culinary and food service contests.

Family and friends of Belle Mead Holm have established a Lamar University scholarship that pays tribute to the pioneering educator, administrator and advocate for women’s athletics. The Dr. Belle Mead Holm Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to dance or kinesiology students at the university.

The Dishman Art Museum on the campus of Lamar University will host two summer exhibitions through Aug. 10. “(An)other Face: Masks from the Collection of Dr. William Brown” opens Friday, May 27, in the Upper Gallery, and “He Said/She Said: They Spoke with One Voice, Figurative Works by David and Patty Cargill,” starts Friday, June 3, in the Lower Gallery. Both shows open with a reception at 7 p.m.

A total of 136 Lamar University students graduated with honors during spring commencement ceremonies May 14 in the Montagne Center. Forty-seven graduated summa cum laude (with highest honors), with grade-point averages ranging from 3.8 to 4.0.

The Lamar University Alumni Advisory Board has elected Jake Tortorice Jr. of Beaumont to serve as 2011-2012 president. Clayton Lau III of Baytown is past-president and Ellen Rienstra of Beaumont will serve as president-elect.

Lamar University signed 23 students Wednesday (May 18) as members of the university’s new Co-ed Cheerleading Team. With the return of football in fall 2010, Lamar announced its first group of Cardinal cheerleaders in 21 years. Like that ensemble, the Co-ed Cheerleading Team will cheer and perform at all home football and basketball games and other campus and community events.

Students, alumni and employees of Lamar University now have another convenient way to stay connected to campus. LamarMobile, a versatile application for smart phones and other mobile devices, is now widely available at no charge. LamarMobile may be downloaded for free from the App Store for iPhone, iPod and iPad or from Android Marketplace for Android devices.

Nearly 150 local high school students interested in becoming teachers will be on the Lamar University campus May 24 for “A Celebration of Teaching.” This event is sponsored by an ExxonMobil grant and is being hosted by the College of Education and Human Development.

Six Lamar University students attained perfect 4.0 grade-point averages to share Plummer Award honors as the top academic graduates in Lamar’s class of May 2011. The class is by far the largest in Lamar history, President James Simmons said, with graduates receiving a total of 1,543 degrees.

The Lamar University Foundation has announced a new endowed scholarship established by the Lamar University Class of 1957. The Class of 1957 Scholarship honors the classmates’ dedication to their alma mater and will provide funds for all majors.

Lamar University’s Community Outreach Program recently completed its fourth successful year of providing free tax preparation through the Community Tax Center Program. This year, the program helped more than 500 working families and senior citizens with income tax returns and processed more than $1M in refunds.

Current and prospective students are encouraged to register as soon as possible for summer and fall classes at Lamar University. Early registration is even more important this year because the university will not be able to offer as many small enrollment sections of classes as in years past, said Kevin Smith, senior associate provost.

Lamar University Aquatics will hold open registration for its Learn to Swim program from 4 to 7 p.m. May 23 to 26. Swim lessons are available for ages 1 year to adult. Classes are divided into skill levels ranging from preschool to adult. For the first time, the aquatics program also will offer parent-and-child classes for 1- and 2-year-old children. Parents are required to enter the pool with their child.

Lamar University honored three students for their exceptional service at the 2011 Toast to Leadership Awards Program. Brittany Ross of Carrollton earned the Bess Gentry Award, recognizing her as outstanding senior woman. Alan Kondo of Fannett earned the C. Robert Kemble Award as outstanding senior man. Thaddeaus Green of Orange received the Ann Shaw Award in recognition of exemplary student leadership.

Lamar University is scheduled to confer a record 1,528 degrees during spring commencement ceremonies Saturday, May 14, in the Montagne Center. Distinguished alumnus Paul Fregia, founder and president of Grandma Maud’s Inc., will address graduates in both ceremonies – at 9:30 a.m. for the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business and Engineering and at 1:30 p.m. for the Colleges of Education and Human Development and Fine Arts and Communication and Center for General Studies. Fregia is a 1981 electrical engineering graduate.

The National Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi initiated 90 Lamar University juniors and seniors into membership during the organization’s annual spring ceremony. Seniors elected to membership must rank in the upper 10 percent of their graduating class, while second-semester juniors must rank in the upper 7.5 percent of their class.

William Vacchiano was principal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic, taught at The Julliard School for 67 years and influenced countless musicians. But one of the things that most impressed Brian Shook, author of a newly released biography about Vacchiano, was his great love of people.

Lamar University will award the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters to Lamar alumnus Charles Garrett, founder, president and chief executive officer of Garrett Metal Detectors Inc., at spring commencement May 14. A resident of Garland, Garrett grew up in Lufkin and graduated from Lamar in 1959 with a degree in electrical engineering. Lamar honored him as a Distinguished Alumnus in 2003.

A new scholarship has been established at the Lamar University Foundation for the College of Business. The Floyd H. Mize Scholarship in Business will provide funds to exceptional students to further their studies in higher education.

A new scholarship has been established at the Lamar University Foundation for the College of Business. The Carole and Bob Garner Scholarship in Business will provide funding for outstanding students to further their studies in higher education. Tommy and H. Edward Garner established the scholarship in honor of their children, Carole and Bob.

To recognize his dedication to the teaching profession and his outstanding academic, scientific and scholarly achievements, Lamar University’s James Westgate joins an elite group educators as a 2011 Piper Professor. Westgate, university professor of earth and space sciences, is one of 10 faculty members in Texas to be honored by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation during the current academic year – and the 12th Lamar faculty member to receive the honor since the program began in 1958.

Lamar University is scheduled to confer 1,551 degrees at spring commencement Saturday, May 14, in the Montagne Center. Lamar distinguished alumnus Paul Fregia, founder and president of Grandma Maud’s Inc., will be the keynote speaker.

The 2011 Brooks Conference will attract about 130 Southeast Texas nonprofit, civic and government leaders – including more than 30 prominent speakers – to Lamar University Thursday, May 5, for a day-long series of programs on topics ranging from the role of nonprofits in society to substance abuse. Lamar’s Jack Brooks Chair in Government and Public Service will host the conference from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the John Gray Center.

That seemingly forever elusive 1,200th victory finally arrived for Lamar University coach Jim Gilligan Wednesday night. After six-straight unsuccessful tries and with an excited Beck Stadium crowd of 1,529 looking on, the Cardinals made the necessary plays to defeat the University of Houston 7-4.

Jim Sanderson, professor of English at Lamar University, is a finalist for the top fiction award to be presented at the 75th-anniversary meeting of the Texas Institute of Letters, Saturday, April 30, in Dallas. Sanderson’s collection of short stories, “Faded Love,” will compete for the Jesse Jones Award for Fiction for best fiction by a Texan or about Texas for 2010.

Lamar University President James Simmons will express his appreciation for the university’s international community by hosting the first Lamar University International Student Summit on Tuesday, May 3 at 3 p.m. in the University Theatre. All international students and their supporters are invited to attend the event.

French Elementary School students will participate in a day of decision making, character building and learn about the judicial process Friday, April 29, thanks to the Jefferson County Bar Association’s “Pipeline Project.” The diversity program designed to encourage kids to stay in school, develop citizenship skills, gain knowledge of legal processes and procedures, and perhaps one day pursue a legal career.

Lamar University led the nation in the number of graduate degrees in education awarded to Hispanics during 2010. The university graduated 342 Hispanics during the year, according to The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education, a national magazine dedicated to exploring issues related to Hispanics in higher education.

Lamar University is now accepting applications for the university’s most prestigious undergraduate award, the David J. Beck Fellowship. For the first time this year, the university will name two recipients of the Beck Fellowship, which provides a full academic scholarship to LU covering all tuition, fees, books and on-campus room and board for one calendar year. Additionally, Beck Fellows receive up to $10,000 each for summer projects, which may include research, travel, an internship or some other pursuit to help them achieve their personal and professional goals.

Born in 1911 in Port Arthur and raised in Beaumont, Mildred "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias is considered one of the greatest female athletes of the 20th century. The Lamar University Department of Theatre & Dance will present her life story in “Beaumont's Babe: A Sportrait of Babe Didrikson Zaharias,”April 28 through May 1in the Studio Theatre.

The Lamar University Department of Civil Engineering will host the Eckenfelder Lecture Series Monday, May 2. The lectures are free to Lamar students and faculty. Members of the public wishing to participate in the event must register with the Eckenfelder Lecture Series Foundation by contacting David Kujawski at dk@refinerywater.info or (949) 433-0301.

The Lamar University Jack Brooks Chair in Government and Public Service will host the 2011 Brooks Conference Thursday, May 5, on the Lamar campus. The conference will focus on nonprofit organizations and substance-abuse issues.

Lamar University public radio KVLU (91.3 FM) has successfully completed its recent spring fund drive and exceeded the goal by $250 for a total of $50,250. The spring campaign was April 5-15 – and finished on time.

Lamar University’s Dishman Art Museum will host an opening reception for “Dilating Perspective” from 7 to 9 p.m. April 29. Eleven students will fulfill their requirements for the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree by presenting their senior thesis projects, ranging from painting, photography, printmaking and drawing to computer graphics.

Thirteen retirees – representing more than 400 years of teaching excellence at Lamar University – received recognition April 20 during the university’s annual faculty awards ceremony.

The Lamar University Foundation has announced a new endowed scholarship for accounting majors. The Don S. Shaver Scholarship in Accounting will provide funds for students to further their studies in higher education. Keith Kebodeaux, friend and colleague of Shaver, established this scholarship to honor Shaver for his professional accomplishments and contributions to Lamar University.

A new scholarship has been established in the Lamar University Foundation for the college of business. The George Anne and Gene C. Monger Scholarship in Accounting in Memory of Norma Hall will provide funds to accounting majors to further their studies in higher education. George Anne and Gene Monger established this scholarship in appreciation for the guidance that Norma Hall had for her student, Gene, and for leading him into his banking career.

Lamar University honored Peggy Doerschuk, professor of computer science, as the 2011 University Professor, with officials applauding her as an innovative and accomplished researcher as well as a teacher and mentor who has deeply touched the lives of her students.

Lamar University has honored three faculty members with 2011 University Merit Awards in recognition of outstanding performance in the classroom. Award recipients are assistant professors Chiung-Fang Chang, sociology, and James Curry and Xinyu Liu, industrial engineering. A university-wide committee selected them from candidates – all junior faculty members – nominated by committees from LU colleges.

Lamar University officials have announced the formation of a new department in the College of Education and Human Development. The Department of Counseling and Special Populations offers bachelor’s and graduate programs that lead to master of education degrees in professional school counseling, counseling and development, and special education.

A new scholarship has been established in memory of the late Myra and Herbert Caldwell. The Myra Keen Caldwell and Herbert Kimbell Caldwell Scholarship will provide funds for students of all majors. Both Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell were very interested in young people pursuing an education,” said Charles Locke, the Caldwells’ step grandson.

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Audience members will hear something they know and love at the Lamar Civic Orchestra’s “Memorable Music” concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 19. Familiar tunes from George Gershwin and from Frank Loesser’s musical “Guys and Dolls” will be the order of the night when the LCO takes the stage at its annual spring concert in the Performing Arts Center at Lamar State College - Port Arthur.

Lamar University’s INSPIRED program recently hosted two free computing academies for middle school students and is now accepting applications for a free summer high school academy. INSPIRED, which stands for Increasing Student Participation in Research Development, is supported by a National Science Foundation Broadening Participation in Computing grant and by grants from ExxonMobil.

Southeast Texans who are seeking to begin or complete a bachelor’s degree are invited to attend the Adult Student Open House April 26. The open house will be held 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. in the Montagne Center Cardinal Club Room. Information about enrollment, course availability and academic advisement will be presented.

Louisiana Poet Laureate Darrell Bourque will read from his work Thursday, April 14, at Lamar University. The reading will begin at 7 p.m. in the Science Auditorium, sponsored by the Department of English and Modern Languages, the estate of Eleanor Perlstein Weinbaum and Pulse, Lamar’s student literary magazine. The reading is open to the public without charge.

April is National Poetry Month, and “Dr. Seuss” visited the Lamar University Writing Center Friday to help celebrate. The program featured a dramatic reading of works by Dr. Seuss, performed by Kelly Draper, associate professor of theater at Lamar. Draper selected three lesser-known poems by Seuss: “The Zax,” “What Was I Scared Of?” and “The Big Brag.”

Registration will begin Monday, April 11 for Lamar University’s May mini, summer and fall sessions. Early registration is even more important this year because the university will not be able to offer as many small enrollment sections of classes as in years past, said Kevin Smith, senior associate provost.

The Lamar University chapter of Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, will host Bette Otto-Bliesner, a climate expert with the American Meterological Society, in a free public lecture April 19. Otto-Bliesner is a senior scientist in the Paleoclimate Group in the Climate and Global Dynamics Division at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colo. She will discuss “Climate Change: What Could Happen and What Can Earth’s Past Tell Us?” at 7:30 p.m. in Room 101 of the Geology Building on the LU campus.

The Lamar University Chapter of Sigma Xi, the scientific research society, will co-host a town hall meeting on the Keystone XL tar sands proposed pipeline at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 14 in Geology 101 lecture hall.

The Lamar University Department of Theatre & Dance will present its spring concert “Dancelation” at 7:30 p.m. April 7 and 8 in the University Theatre. It will feature a variety of dance styles, including ballet, jazz, modern, tap, musical theatre, improvisation and hip-hop.

Lamar University’s College of Business is one of 25 business schools around the world chosen to participate in the Aspen Institute’s 2011 Business and Society International MBA Case Competition this year. Sixteen Lamar MBA students, competing on five teams, completed the first round of the elite event last week.

Lamar University will begin a new era in its men’s basketball program with the naming of Pat Knight as its head coach, announced Director of Athletics Larry Tidwell on Tuesday. Knight comes to Lamar after 10 seasons at Texas Tech, including the final three plus years as head coach. Named head coach designate at Tech prior to the 2005-06 season, Knight took over for his Hall-of-Fame father Bob Knight toward the end of the 2007-08 season.

The Reese Construction Management Program students of Lamar University will participate in their spring 2011 service project on Saturday, April 9. The project will take place at Collier’s Ferry Park from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. where approximately 30 students will be constructing picnic tables and benches to enhance the park for the community.

Sixteen members of the Lamar University Greek Community were inducted into Order of Omega, National Greek Honor Fraternity on March 30. Order of Omega recognizes outstanding fraternity men and sorority women who have attained a high standard of leadership and scholastic achievement.

Lamar University will unveil its new state-of-the-art athletic complex to the public on Sunday (April 3, 2011) from 2 to 5 p.m. Lamar Cardinal fans will have the opportunity to tour the 54,000-square-foot complex at the south end of Provost Umphrey Stadium.

Lamar University has selected 13 students to serve as Lamar Ambassadors. They will join 17 returning Ambassadors in representing the student body at official university events during the 2011-2012 academic year. “Lamar University is fortunate to have many alumni and friends who are dedicated to supporting the goals of our university,” said President James Simmons. “The Ambassadors are excellent representatives of the students who benefit from the support of these loyal friends of our institution.”

A new scholarship has been established in honor of Gloria and Charles Locke, both active members in the Beaumont community. The Gloria Swarts Locke and Charles Blakey Locke Presidential Scholarship in Theatre honors the couple’s dedication to public service and provides funds for theatre majors.

The Texas Academy of Leadership in the Humanities (TALH) lecture series on “The Future of Texas” will present Armando Alonzo on April 7. Alonzo will present on “The Rise of Hispanic Texas” as part of a five-speaker series that will continue through April 14.

The room is more than 10 feet tall and 20 feet long. It’s populated with tables, a chair, a lamp, books, a bowl of fruit, even a pair of boots. Landscape art decorates the walls. And every item in it, including the room itself, is made of cast iron and steel. Ed Wilson’s “Ironist Interior,” is one of about 30 pieces by 15 artists on display at the Dishman Art Museum on the campus of Lamar University in “Arrested Form: Recent Sculpture by the Texas Atomic Iron Commission.”

Alan and Cherrie Hefty of Beaumont have endowed three new scholarships at Lamar University. The three scholarships are in accounting, education and chemical engineering, offering opportunity to students having diverse interests and goals. “We have always appreciated the education we received from Lamar,” the Heftys said.

Lamar University’s JoAnne Gay Dishman Department of Nursing honored faculty member Rose Harding of Beaumont with the first DAISY Award at the department’s first awards ceremony. An instructor of nursing and 13-year faculty member, Harding accepted the award at a March 21 program co-sponsored by Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas.

The JoAnne Gay Dishman Department of Nursing at Lamar University presented eight top awards and recognized other nursing students for academic achievements at its first nursing awards ceremony March 21. Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas co-sponsored the event in the University Reception Center of the Mary and John Gray Library.

Lamar University officials recognized ten outstanding student employees at the 2011 National Student Employee of the Year award ceremony on March 16. This is the third year the university has presented the award which is sponsored nationwide by the National Student Employee Association and is recognized by universities across the country.

The Lamar University Honors Student Association will host a bake sale on Saturday, March 26 at the Lamar University Cardinal baseball game against the Texas State Bobcats at Vincent-Beck Stadium. The bake sale is an effort to raise money for the American Red Cross Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Relief fund. All money raised will go directly to the Red Cross to help those affected by the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Lamar University students, Matt Morrison and Danny Iles, are making waves in the world of collegiate fishing. The two mechanical engineering majors have been representing the Collegiate Anglers of Lamar since 2008. With their exemplary talent and teamwork, these anglers are successful at catching fish and reeling in an admirable reputation for Lamar University.

Visitors to Lamar University’s Setzer Student Center may stumble upon a surreal sight Wednesday — a graveyard. No, it’s not the popular October holiday come early — it’s an attention-grabbing display aimed at younger smokers.

Lamar University will unveil its brand new athletic complex to the public on Sunday, April 3 from 2 to 5 p.m. giving Lamar Cardinal fans an unprecedented opportunity for a behind-the-scenes look at the state-of-the-art facility. Combined, the stadium and complex represent a $28 million investment that accompanied the return of football to Lamar.

Lamar University’s Students Advancing through Involvement in Research Student Talent Expansion Program (STAIRSTEP) aims to increase the number of undergraduate students receiving bachelor’s degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Several STAIRSTEP students will have the opportunity to present their research at professional conferences this spring.

The Texas Academy of Leadership in the Humanities (TALH) lecture series on “The Future of Texas” will present Char Miller on March 24. Miller will present on “Why the Suburban is the State Car of Texas” as part of a five-speaker series that will continue through April 14. Miller is the director of the environmental analysis program and W.M. Keck professor of environmental analysis at Pomona College.

The JoAnne Gay Dishman Department of Nursing at Lamar University will host its first nursing awards ceremony Monday, March 21, in the University Reception Center of the Mary and John Gray Library. The event is co-sponsored by Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas. Activities will begin at 6 p.m., with a dinner and short speech before presentation of the awards, scheduled to start about 7 p.m.

Steve Roccaforte has been relieved of his duties as head men’s basketball coach at Lamar University, announced Director of Athletics Larry Tidwell on Monday. Roccaforte just completed his fifth season at Lamar, compiling a 76-78 overall record and a 39-41 mark in Southland Conference play. The Cardinals finished 13-17 overall this season, including a 7-9 record in SLC games which tied for ninth in the league standings.

Lamar University will showcase its new, state-of-the-art athletic complex with public tours from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 3. Campus visitors will have the opportunity to tour the 54,000-square-foot complex at the south end of Provost Umphrey Stadium.

Prospective students from all undergraduate majors can learn more about the advantages of pursuing an MBA at Lamar University at an Open House scheduled for 6 p.m. April 11 in Landes Auditorium of the Galloway Business Building. With accelerated evening and early morning classes, the MBA program at LU offers flexible options for students interested in earning a graduate degree in business.

Lamar University’s College of Business will host Bob Pearson, chief technology and media officer for WCG, a global communications company, as ExxonMobil Executive in Residence March 17, 2011. He is also the author of PrE Commerce: How Companies and Customers are Transforming Business Together (Jossey-Bass, 2011).

“Rhapsody in LU” will honor the fine arts at Lamar University onSaturday, March 19, 2011, when Lamar’s Friends of the Arts present Le Grand Bal, a gala evening of art, fine dining, dancing and entertainment.Le Grand Bal is the major annual fundraiser for the College of Fine Arts and Communication.

he JoAnne Gay Dishman Department of Nursing at Lamar University has won a statewide Teaching Innovation Award for 2011. Department faculty members earned the honor from the Texas Organization of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Education, which recognized the department for a disaster planning simulation focusing on communication, teamwork, collaboration, quality and safety, said Eileen Deges Curl, chair of the department.

Several Lamar University faculty members won awards, presented papers and played leadership roles in a recent statewide meeting of college English teachers. Lamar’s Department of English and Modern Languages was well represented at the annual joint meeting of the Conference of College Teachers of English and the Texas College English Association March 3-5 at Tarleton State University in Stephenville.

For 34 years, Howard Perkins imparted knowledge and inspired learning among his students while allowing them to hold on to their sense of self and creativity. He knew the value of mixing professionalism with a joy for the work. Perkins was advisor, teacher, mentor and inspiration for generations of Lamar University students now achieving success throughout the communication profession.

The Wind Ensemble and Concert Band Lamarissimo! concert on March 3, takes Lamar University’s motto, “Texas Roots, Infinite Possibilities” to the Beaumont stage, with a local focus and homegrown talent. The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Julie Rogers Theatre.

The Texas State University System has honored Lamar University professors Keith Carter and Pamela Saur as regents’ professors, the system’s highest faculty award. System regents recognized Carter and Saur as “exceptional and outstanding” professors who have achieved excellence in teaching, research and publication, as well as community service, “demonstrating in performance of their duties an unwavering dedication to their students, universities and communities.”

Surrounded by fellow members of the oldest and largest music fraternity for men, Lamar University President James Simmons accepted Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity’s highest honor Feb. 19 in a ceremony on the Lamar campus. Phi Mu Alpha recognized Simmons as a “Signature Sinfonian,” honoring him “for a lifetime of excellence” and as an alumni member who has achieved a high standard of accomplishment in his profession.

A total of 425 Lamar University students achieved perfect 4.0 grade-point averages to earn places on the President’s List for the 2010 fall semester, President James Simmons announced. To qualify for the President’s List, a student must carry a full course load of 12 semester hours or more and attain a 4.0 GPA.

Perhaps no name is more synonymous with the storied Lamar University basketball tradition than Billy Tubbs. That name, along with his wife of 52 years Pat, will become a permanent part of the basketball legacy on Saturday night as the Montagne Center floor will be named “Billy and Pat Tubbs Court” in their honor.

High school students and college transfers will have an opportunity to learn about everything that Lamar University has to offer at a Spring Open House scheduled for Saturday, April 2.

Lamar University’s College of Business will host Carmen Jordan, executive vice president and chief lending officer of Encore Bank, as ExxonMobil Executive in Residence Feb. 22, 2011. She also serves as executive vice president of Encore Bancshares, Inc., Encore Bank’s holding company.

The Texas Academy of Leadership in the Humanities (TALH) lecture series on “The Future of Texas” will present Ty Cashion on Feb. 17. Cashion will present on “The End of Texceptionalism and the Future of Texas History” as part of a five-speaker series that will continue through April 14.

The Lamar University Academic Lecture Series is proud to present original freedom writer, Manuel Scott on March 1 at 7 p.m. at the LU University Theatre. Scott will share his unique message that has inspired, educated, and empowered almost a million people, helping them make the most of their lives.

Lamar University is seeking nominations for the 2011 honoree in the Distinguished Faculty Lecture Series, sponsored by ExxonMobil. March 14 is the nomination deadline. Lamar faculty, staff, students, alumni and retired faculty and staff are invited to nominate outstanding teacher/scholars for the award, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, said Steven Zani, co-chair of the Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Award Committee.

Magic. Romance. Lamar University Theatre will brim with the excitement of William Shakespeare’s farewell to the stage as the Department of Theatre & Dance opens its new Bard on the Bayou series with “The Tempest.” This fantastical hour-long adaptation features the work of Tony-Award winning guest artist Scott Pask and will run Thursday, Feb. 17, through Sunday, Feb. 20, in the University Theatre.

Lamar University released its official Spring 2011 enrollment figures showing continued growth with record credit hours and its second-largest spring enrollment, officials said. “Lamar University’s enrollment momentum continues this spring, and we are especially pleased to observe the increase and high numbers in these economically difficult times,” said Kevin Smith, senior associate provost.

Lamar University will honor three alumni who have made their marks in community service, special education and sports broadcasting as 2011 Distinguished Alumni. Honorees are Vernon Durden of China, Grace Davis England of Spring, and Bill Macatee of Newport Coast, Calif. They will be recognized at a reception and dinner on March 4 at the University Reception Center on the eighth floor of the Mary and John Gray Library.

Lamar University is proud to promote the importance of education to elementary and middle school students by hosting The JASON Project at the John Gray Center. This innovative project was established to connect students with scientists and researchers to provide mentored, authentic and enriching science learning experiences.

The Lamar University Department of History will host its second annual Texas History Day on Thursday, Feb. 10, attracting students from high schools and middle schools across Southeast Texas. Lamar’s event is part of National History Day 2011, whose theme is “Debate and Diplomacy in History.”

Lamar University conferred 1,014 degrees at fall commencement ceremonies Dec. 18. Here are Lamar’s fall 2010 graduates and their majors, listed according to their hometowns. The list is based on information provided by the office of the registrar.

The Texas Academy of Leadership in the Humanities (TALH) is bringing an informational lecture series on “The Future of Texas” to Lamar and Beaumont beginning Feb. 3. A generous grant from Humanities Texas was awarded to TALH to make this lecture series possible with five outstanding speakers from across Texas. Each presentation will provide an opportunity for the speakers to share their own unique view of the future of Texas.

The Lamar University Spirit Team is thinking big as it prepares for its sixth annual “Showdown” Cheer and Dance Clinic Saturday, Feb. 12, on the Lamar campus. Besides gaining new skills and polishing their talents, participants will take the spotlight at the Cardinal men’s basketball game.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has included Lamar University in its latest list of Doctoral/Research universities, placing Lamar in the upper echelon of degree-granting institutions nationally. In addition to LU, Sam Houston State University maintains its position on the Carnegie Foundation list.

The JASON Alliance of Southeast Texas (JASET) and Lamar University will host this year’s JASON Project event Operation Tectonic Fury at the John Gray Center on the LU campus Jan. 21 - Feb. 8. The nearly 10,000 southeast Texas 4-8th graders and their teachers will attend the program that this year focuses on geological sciences.

The University Press, the newspaper of Lamar University and Lamar Institute of Technology, will host a reunion of former staff members Jan. 29 to celebrate the legacy of long-time director Howard Perkins, who died Oct. 22 after 34 years at the paper. The event will include the unveiling of a plaque dedicating the office as the Howard A. Perkins Newsroom.

The Lamar University Foundation has announced a new scholarship in honor of Sandra French Clark, an accomplished and well-known lawyer in the Beaumont area. The Sandra French Clark Scholarship in Choral Music will provide funds for music majors participating in the choral music program to pursue their dreams.

Gregg Lassen will join Lamar University’s executive team Feb. 15 as vice president for finance and operations, officials announced today. Lassen has served as executive vice president with a portfolio that includes all business affairs and student affairs functions at the University of Texas at Tyler since 2006.

Students still have time to take advantage of a Lamar University education this spring even though classes began Jan. 10. Late registration for the Spring 2011 semester has been extended through Friday, Jan. 14.

The Lamar University Community Outreach Program has been awarded a grant from the Internal Revenue Service to increase earned income tax credit (EITC) awareness and education, provide financial education and economic development. Through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (V.I.T.A) Grant Program, the outreach program is providing services for individuals and families, students, senior citizens, and non-English speaking people in Southeast Texas.

Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum will blow its replica oil gusher at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 9, to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the Lucas Gusher, the discovery well of the Spindletop field that blew in on Jan. 10, 1901. Viewing of the gusher is free to the general public. Living history re-enactors will be on hand throughout the afternoon to provide entertainment and to re-enact the discovery.

Lamar University public radio KVLU-FM announced this week that plans are in place for a trip through the Canadian Rockies by rail July 18-26, 2011. An informational meeting on the trip is scheduled for 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 12, in the lecture hall of the Art Museum of Southeast Texas, 500 Main St. in downtown Beaumont.

A new endowed scholarship at Lamar University honors Enrique J. Venta, father of Enrique “Henry” R. Venta, dean of the College of Business at Lamar. Venta, and the Venta family, established the Enrique J. Venta Memorial Scholarship in Accounting as a tribute to his late father’s dedication to the accounting profession.

Four Lamar University students attained perfect 4.0 grade-point averages to share Plummer Award honors as the top academic graduates in Lamar’s class of December 2010. Earning the Plummer Awards are Nicholas Duplan, a mathematics major from Port Neches; Jeffery Mitchell of Wichita Falls, who earned two degrees – in accounting and in management information systems; Tabitha Trapasso, a biology major from Beaumont; and Hillary Alyce Rose Victoria, a Spanish major from Vidor.

Application packets for 2011-2012 Lamar University Ambassadors will be available through March 18 in the Office of Alumni Affairs on the Lamar campus. Fourteen openings will be available for new Ambassadors in the fall of 2011.

Sixty-eight Lamar University students graduated with honors during winter commencement ceremonies Dec. 18 in the Montagne Center.

Registration for Lamar University’s Spring 2011 semester is open and will continue through Jan. 7. Spring classes begin Monday, Jan. 10. Students are encouraged to register for classes as soon as possible so that they will be able to take the classes they want at the times that are most convenient for them.

The work of three artists, friends and colleagues will come together in “The Specious Instant” at the Dishman Art Museum Jan. 10 through Feb.18 with the works of Steve Hodges, Justin Varner and Jakob Christmas. Members of the community are invited to the free opening reception Jan. 14 from 7 to 9 p.m.

Lamar University is scheduled to confer 1,048 degrees at winter commencement Dec. 18 in the Montagne Center. Lamar will conduct two ceremonies to accommodate the large number of graduates – a procedure that began in December 2009. Brian McCall, chancellor of the The Texas State University System, will be the keynote speaker.

Sandra Harris, professor and director of the LU doctoral program in educational leadership has been selected to receive the 2011 Living Legend award by the National Council of Professors of Educational Administration (NCPEA). “Dr. Harris’s ongoing contributions embody NCPEA’s commitment to the practice and study of educational administration,” said NCPEA executive director James Berry. “She has spent more than a decade developing the capacity of junior faculty, mentoring them at the NCPEA conference and through numerous publications.”