News at Lamar University

Lamar University’s sole finalist for president, Dr. Jaime Taylor, visited campus on Thursday and Friday to meet with Texas Statue University System officials, university personnel and community leaders.

Joseph Mann, Instructor of American Sign Language, has been awarded Teacher of the Year for 2021-2022 by the Department of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education.

Dr. Selahattin Sayil, professor of electrical engineering, along with his project team, has received funding from the NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) program for a 3-year term on improving the quality of electrical engineering online laboratories

Lamar University students have participated in the AMCA tournaments where students work in teams to construct legal arguments to present to judges. Teams will advance to higher rounds based on their performance.

A recently released report highlights Lamar University’s continued commitment to working with minority, woman, and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses.

Lamar University has selected 9 students to serve as Lamar Ambassadors. They will join 28 returning ambassadors in representing the student body at official university functions during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Chancellor Brian McCall has selected Jaime R. Taylor, Ph.D., as sole finalist in the Lamar University presidential search. Dr. Taylor was selected following an extensive national search.

Dishman Elementary will soon receive a Cardinal NEST and have a Lamar University alum return to assist as an ambassador of LU. A long time LU donor is making the NEST possible at Dishman which joins Pietzsch-MacArthur, Blanchette, Charlton-Pollard, Amelia, Martin and Fletcher as Beaumont ISD NEST campuses.

Megan Wimberly ’12, deaf studies and deaf education doctoral student, was chosen as one of three presenters for the 2021 virtual Language First Deaf Disabled Students Mini Conference.

The Houston Gas Processors Association has awarded three students from the College of Engineering the Houston GPA scholarship.

Lamar University’s President Kenneth Evans announced a total of 742 students to the Spring 2021 President’s list.

The deans of Lamar University’s five academic colleges have announced a total of 1043 students to the Spring 2021 Dean’s list.

Drs. Eldre Beukes and Vinaya Manchaiah explore ways to offer an online self-help program for individuals with tinnitus, a condition that, according to Dr. Eldre Beukes, is characterized by hearing unwanted sounds, such a s ringing or buzzing that do not originate from a corresponding external sound.

Dr. Jing Zhang, Associate Professor of Computer Science, and Dr. Maryam Hamidi, Assistant Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering, have received funding for their project “Deep Learning-based Auditory Anomaly Detection and Classification for Natural Gas Compressors, Phase 1.”

LU Department of Theatre and Dance presents Helen and Larry Rose Dance Awards to Brittany Gonzales and Ashley Hawkins.

The last 14 months brought a multitude of challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. From shifting to online and hybrid course formats to quarantining and toilet paper shortages, the class of 2021 has experienced a plethora of trials along the way. It’s through these experiences that graduates have learned important lessons that will carry with them.

Dr. Kelley Bradley, Assistant Professor of Industrial & Systems Engineering, has been accepted to the Visiting Faculty Program (VFP) at the Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the nation’s largest multi-program science and technology laboratory.

The Lamar University Student Health Center is now offering free COVID-19 vaccines (Johnson & Johnson / Janssen and Moderna) for all students, faculty and staff of Lamar University. Registration is required and can be completed at lamar.edu/healthcenter.

Lamar University celebrated employee appreciation days in April and awarded five staff members with the honored Distinguished Staff Award.

The College of Engineering hosted its annual Senior Design Symposium on April 30. This year, 44 groups competed for individual department awards with the hope of becoming crowned Grand Champion of the event.

After more than a year of altered commencement ceremonies due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more traditional ceremonies return to Lamar University this May with added pomp and circumstance for both in-person and virtual participants.

The Office of Undergraduate Research is pleased to announce the winners of the eighth Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity Expo which was held on April 16.

The Office of Undergraduate Research has awarded Dr. Ozge Gunaydin-Sen its 2021 Faculty Mentor of the Year.

“Dancers Among Us,” hosted by the Department of Theatre & Dance at Lamar University, is a site-specific choreographic final project of the applied choreography class.

The White House and AmeriCorps have recognized Lamar University’s Honors Student Association with the “President’s Volunteer Service Award” and Bronze medallion for their dedicated community service, most notably at the Southeast Texas Food Bank.