LSUA NEWS & EVENTS

The annual LSU Alexandria open house for high school students and their parents is scheduled Nov. 24, announced Shelly Kieffer, director of recruiting and admissions. Nov. 18 is the deadline to register for the event, which begins at 8:30 a.m. and concludes at 3 p.m.

Students have the opportunity to attend a college class, meet faculty from all academic departments and tour the campus, including The Oaks residence hall. Parents can attend a roundtable discussion with representatives from key areas of the campus and meet faculty and staff.

Students and parents will learn about the admission process, financial aid, student support services and campus life.

“This is the best one-stop opportunity to get acquainted with LSUA,” Kieffer said. “It’s the most convenient way to experience the university and have every question answered.”

The cost is $10 for students, which includes a T-shirt and lunch. Parents attend free. A registration form is available at www.lsua.edu or from the Office of Admissions. Call 473-6417 for additional information.

Dr. Ravish Patwardhan, one of the country’s leading neurosurgeons, will address Honors Program students at LSU Alexandria on revolutionary surgical techniques Nov. 19 at 11 a.m. in the Coughlin Hall auditorium on campus. The lecture, “Brain and Spine Neurosurgery: The Latest Techniques,” is free and open to the public.

“The brain and spine constitute the ‘control center’ for our ability to think and what we physically are able to do. Developments in medical surgery’s capacity to intervene and heal are intrinsically interesting, and Dr. Patwardhan is extraordinarily qualified in this field,” said Dr. Stephen Vanderslice, professor of English and philosophy and member of the Honors Program steering committee. “Dr. Patwardhan’s lecture will be appropriate for the community-at-large as well as participants in the Honors Program.”

Patwardhan, founder of The Comprehensive Neurosurgery Network in Shreveport, has been named one of America’s Top Surgeons. He said his talk will deal with “first of their kind in America brain and spine procedures.” Patwardhan solo medical practice is based at Willis-Knighton Hospital.

He and a Chinese doctor are credited with performing the first successful surgery in the world that rerouted nerves for bladder function in a patient who had suffered a gunshot wound to the spine seven years earlier. Patwardhan also has special interests in neurosurgery using electrical stimulation to control seizures in epilepsy patients and in brain mapping for neurosurgical planning and function localization. He has published and presented nearly four dozen professional papers.

Patwardhan earned a medical degree from UCLA School of Medicine following double-major undergraduate degrees in biomedical sciences and electrical engineering. He was chief resident in neurosurgery at LSU Medical School in Shreveport from 2002-04 after a four-year neurosurgery residency at the University of Alabama in Birmingham.

Patwardhan also participates in marathons, triathlons, scuba diving and sky diving.

The LSUA Honors Program, which began in 2008, is an academically accelerated interdisciplinary curriculum open to all qualified students. The program also includes a travel component. Students visited New York City last year, and a trip to Washington, D.C., is planned in the spring semester.

Dr. Kevin Ells, assistant professor of communication studies at LSU Alexandria, will present “3 Shades of Green: Creation, Conservation, Communication” at a Cavanaugh Public Lecture on Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. in the Media Room of the Alexandria Museum of Art. Admission is free.

Ells will discuss the life of famed American conservationist Aldo Leopold in “science, government and education to show how environmental issues can be of concern to people from a wide variety of political perspectives and faith traditions.” Ells participated in a four-week summer institute on the life and influence of Leopold last summer after receiving a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

“It’s a common misperception that if you’re an environmentalist you need to be secular, liberal and wealthy,” Ells said. “You can be, of course, but concern for the future of our world is a matter for everyone.” Ells taught the first environmental communication course offered by LSUA, and the class again will be offered in the spring semester. He has been published in academic journals, including “Environmental Communication: A Journal of Nature and Culture.”

The lecture series, named in honor of former LSU Alexandria chancellor Robert Cavanaugh, is sponsored by the Department of Arts, English and Humanities at LSUA.

The Chancellor’s Arts and Humanities Committee at LSU Alexandria will sponsor a cultural day trip to the Texas Renaissance Festival in Plantersville on Nov. 21, announced Dr. Eamon Halpin, assistant vice chancellor for academic and student affairs and trip coordinator.

“This is one of the nation’s largest and most acclaimed Renaissance festivals, and it’s been our most popular trip. It’s sure to sell out again, so people who want to attend should not hesitate to make reservations at the appropriate time,” Halpin said.

Registration for the trip is open now for LSUA students. The public can make reservations starting Nov. 6. Tickets are $17. Tickets for children between 7-13 years old with adult supervision are $7. The price covers bus transportation and festival admission. Food and drink are not included. Departure will be from LSUA at 5 a.m. with a return at 11:30 p.m. the same day.

Tickets are available through the Department of Continuing Education at the LSUA Business Education Center on Wimbledon Dr. in Alexandria, 473-6495. Additional information about the agenda is available from Halpin at 767-2604 or ehalpin@lsua.edu.

“The Texas Renaissance Festival recreates the sights, sounds and tastes of 16th century England in very entertaining and educational fashion. Those who make the trip with us are encouraged to come in period costume,” Halpin said.

LSU Alexandria will present a question-and-answer session on college majors and careers for high school seniors and juniors on Nov. 10 from 6-8 p.m. in the Science Building auditorium, announced Shelly Kieffer, director of recruiting and admissions.

“Choosing areas of study is not an easy choice for most high school students who will attend college,” Kieffer said. “LSUA faculty from each academic department and professional advisors will discuss how and when to choose a major and what career options are available with a specific degree. This will be a practical and beneficial session with plenty of time for questions. Parents are welcome to attend too.”

Career Exploration Night is free. Reservations are encouraged. Additional information is available from the Office of Admissions at 473-6417 or admissions@lsua.edu.