Fiber arts major Ashley Newchurch frames unique artistic future

Ashley Newchurch's interest in art comes from creating things others can enjoy. Lamar University became her comfort zone even before she enrolled when she visited her sister on campus. She found her own niche in the art department. “I made so many connections that I felt it was my own special community.” Read more...

Political science major leads to great experiences for Will Robbins

After graduating from high school in Beaumont, Will Robbins planned to attend Lamar for a year, get some college experience and then transfer to another school in a bigger city. "Once I got to Lamar, I loved it, and I never left. I never would have imagined all the opportunities Lamar could give." Read more...

Dietetics major aims to educate with easily digestible language

Ana Mendez, dietetics major from Marshall, breaks down language barriers. Her goal is to deliver patients the information they need to stay healthy in a way that is easy to digest. Her interest in dietetics began when served as an interpreter between doctors and her mother, who developed gestational diabetes. Her knowledge has grown through her classes and research opportunities at LU. Read more...

Biology, chemistry major pursues healing research

A frightening medical diagnosis at age 14 prompted Crissie Vandehoef to veer off course academically for a few years. Now the biology and chemistry major from Port Neches is on track to a future as a biomedical researcher with the help of opportunities, including as one of two 2013 David J. Beck Fellows. She will spend her summer as a research assistant at the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) investigating the chronic inflammatory disease. Read more...

English, Spanish major explores new cultures

For Amy Morgan, studying at Lamar University has provided extraordinary opportunities and exposure to new cultures that she never envisioned while growing up in Silsbee. An English and Spanish major, Morgan traveled to Salamanca, Spain, in summer 2011 for a Lamar study abroad program. As one of LU’s two David J. Beck Fellows for 2013, she is now planning her second trip abroad. For her summer fellowship project, she will travel to Argentina for a literary seminar, study and work on a literary translation. Read more...

Engineering, physics major eyes sustainable future

Joshua Barnes has an eye on the future. The Beaumont mechanical engineering and physics major has developed a system to measure the sustainability of the products Americans produce and consume. "We need something better in America to fight entropy. And sustainability is a good way to do that.” Barnes said he was attracted to Lamar's strong engineering program and has found faculty and administrators helpful in letting him know about opportunities. Read more...

English, history major finds the story behind the story

Christine Zabala, senior English and history major, likes to get the whole story. While some are serial status updaters on their favorite social media site, Zabala’s interests lie with the thoughts and happenings of the past.  “English is something that I really enjoyed in high school,” she said. “So when I switched from biology to history, I added English as a major because they complement each other so well.” Read more...

Henderson tapped as University Press editor

Chelsea Henderson has an eye for news. The sophomore communication major was recently named University Press editor at Lamar University after a three-year career at the publication.When she began her college search, she wanted to work for a great university paper, which led her to Lamar. Andy Coughlan, Lamar’s director of student publications, said Henderson’s passion for journalism has been evident since she was a freshman. Read more...

Spanish major credits LU experience for evolving identity

Whether through her work with her sorority, Alpha Delta Pi; as section leader with the Lamar University Drumline and percussion ensembles; as vice president of the Order of Omega Greek Honor Society; or at her on-campus job at the parking office, Heather (Daniel) Edgar has been one busy Cardinal. “It was so much fun getting down on the field and marching with the drumline,” she said. “For five months we would spend two hours, six days a week drumming. They really became like family.” Read more...

Math and physics major Lanning reflects on research

As a dual major in physics and mathematics, Nick Lanning of Orange has reached far beyond textbooks through research opportunities offered at Lamar University. His work with Lamar’s Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement and STAIRSTEP programs have offered Lanning invaluable research experience and even earned him national recognition. He received the American Physical Society of Physics Students' Award for Outstanding Poster Presentation this year.  Read more...

Quentin Jiles, social work major, named SGA president

Quentin Jiles, Houston senior and social work major, was named the new Lamar University Student Government Association president for 2012-2013. Jiles said he owes much of his success at the university to his involvement with student organizations such as the NAACP and the Social Work Student Association.  Jiles said he owes much of his success at the university to his involvement with student organizations such as the NAACP and the Social Work Student Association.  Read more...

Industrial engineering major Elizabeth Wu embraces challenges

Lamar’s challenging curriculum offered just the sort of mental cross-training Elizabeth Wu wanted from her education. A proficient violinist since the age of four, fluent in Mandarin and a brown belt in San Shou martial arts, Wu has enjoyed her transition into university life. "Here at Lamar, they don’t just push you in a certain direction; they kind of challenge you from several different aspects.” Read more...

Spanish major Isaiah Johnson finds adventure in being bilingual

For senior Spanish major Isaiah Johnson, it is not enough to just speak, write and understand Spanish in order to become bilingual; you have to dream in it as well. “After a few science courses I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be a dentist anymore,” said Johnson. Johnson got involved in the Spanish Circle Organization and the Sigma Delta Pi Spanish Honors Society where he began volunteering at the Southeast Texas Food Bank.   Read more...

Kayleigh Romero enjoys education as student and teacher

For Kayleigh Romero, a junior at Lamar University, the decision to pursue a career in education was made in the summer of her sophomore year of high school. “I wanted to work somewhere where every day I’d have the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life,” said Romero. Read more...

Chemical engineering is passion for Tamara Frydson

Being far from home in Ecuador is anything but easy for junior chemical engineering major Tamara Frydson, but with her involvement in campus organizations, love for chemical engineering and close relationships with professors, she believes she has found a family at Lamar University. Read more...

Math major Lucas Castle finds strength in numbers

Lucas Castle always knew he loved mathematics, but it wasn’t until he gained the confidence to do a little research that he discovered the field offered him a future full of possibilities. “There are tons of opportunities out there for mathematicians that I was never aware of until recently. If I hadn’t come to Lamar, I would not have had any of the opportunities that I’ve had.” Read more...

Psychology major Joshua Raglon hits the ground running

A member of the Lamar University Track and Field team, Joshua Raglon balances his schedule between rigorous track practices, a course load of 16 hours and other academic pursuits. He recently completed the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program. “I am pretty busy,” Raglon admitted. Read more...

Industrial engineering major Candice Montgomery loves a challenge

Candice Montgomery believes that she has become better prepared for the future with the help of Lamar University’s student organizations. “I was always involved in high school, but when I got to college I gained the ability to handle much more. I put a lot on my plate at one time, but I always get it done.” Read more...

Biology major Humberto Hernandez fascinated by unseen world

Beginning with his first high school biology class, Humberto Hernandez of Houston has been captivated by the possibilities offered through scientific research. Lamar University has been the perfect fit for the senior biology major because of the ample opportunities he has had to pursue significant research starting early in his undergraduate career.  Read more...

Paul Rizk lays groundwork for career in medicine

Chemical engineering and physics major Paul Rizk is laying the groundwork for a career in medicine. Now a Lamar University junior, Rizk has set his sights on the Mayo Clinic Medical School in Minnesota. "It may sound cliché, but I like the idea of making a difference in people's lives," Rizk said. Rizk was accepted to Princeton and Lamar, but after research of both schools and examining the tuition rates, he decided Lamar was the right choice for him. Read more...

Co-ops benefit on path to engineering career for Aleiya Samad

Although her Lamar experiences had her flying high this summer, Aleiya Samad is keeping her career plans firmly grounded in the excellence of the university’s engineering courses and its outstanding co-op program. This semester, Samad is gaining valuable experience in her second co-op through the College of Engineering’s Co-Operative Education program working at the BP Texas City Refinery. Read more...

Andrew Greenberg stamps his name on Lamar

As president of the Student Government Association, Andrew Greenberg’s biggest priority is to unite the students at Lamar University as a powerful force in the community – and in order to do so, he plans to lead by example. “My goal is to push things as far as I can in the year that I am here,” Greenberg said. “I want to do things that make an impact on the community, where people say ‘Wow, look what Lamar students are able to do.’” Read more...

Business, tennis bring Diana Mendez to Lamar

Diana Mendez started her collegiate career at a northern university in Iowa playing primarily indoor tennis. A native of Bogota, Colombia, where it's always warm, she was longing for warmer weather and felt she was a better outdoor tennis player. The Lamar tennis program along with the facilities and the College of Business impressed her enough to get her heading south. Read more...

Nursing major Ashley Brown walks path toward helping others

What started as a way to accumulate required service learning hours for the Lamar University nursing program has become Ashley Brown’s own personal therapy and passion. She finds that volunteering at Stable-Spirit is rewarding not only because she loves working with children and horses, but also because it is preparing her for a career in pediatrics. For Brown, a senior nursing major from LaMarque, volunteering is only one of the many opportunities Lamar University has offered during her time as a student. Read more...

Connecting lives: Heather Moore pursues ASL degree at LU

Heather Moore is pursuing her lifelong goal of obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Sign Language. “It is always a challenge, fitting your life around your schoolwork, and I wouldn’t be able to do with without the convenience of Lamar University,” Moore said. “I can take online classes, and the campus is close to where I live. I don’t have to uproot my family to pursue my college dreams.” Read more...

Allison Underhill gets inspired at LU

Junior theatre education major Allison Underhill revels in the opportunity to learn from others and hopes one day to inspire students of her own. A native of Port Arthur and 2007 graduate of Nederland High School, she has become interested in the possibility of pursuing a master’s in order to teach at the college level. Read more...

Long road, long hours lead to LU for Fred Vernon

For Fred Vernon of Port Arthur, the path to becoming a successful Lamar University student has been a winding one. A junior accounting major, Vernon is spending the summer in a paid internship at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Houston, where he hopes to eventually become a partner after completing his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Lamar University. “It’s been great. I’m learning about business. I’m learning about myself." Read more...