JAY WHITE - Biological Sciences
1. Tell us about yourself.
I was born in Baton Rouge and moved to Ruston when I was 2 years old and have been here ever since. My father taught at Tech in the same building that I am currently working in. So I have been wandering the rooms of Carson Taylor Hall for over 40 years. I am married to Ann Hays White and we have two children David and Sidney. I graduated from Cedar Creek here in Ruston, received my B.S. and M.S. degrees from Louisiana Tech University. I worked for seven years for a Biotech company where I was involved in developing bio-herbicides. Some other work related experiences that I have are being an agricultural consultant and managing tomato greenhouses. I started working at Tech in the School of Biological Sciences 1992.
2. How did I choose my career?
I have always been involved in some area of science. After the company I was working for closed their Ruston lab and wanted me to move to San Diego I decided to change my career path. Since both of my parents were science teachers, I decided that the teaching profession was the obvious choice for me.
3. If you weren't a college professor, what would you be doing now?
This would be a difficult decision because there are a couple of things I really enjoy. A few years ago my family and I started visiting National Parks for family vacations and I really enjoyed this experience. So if I was to get out of the teaching profession one option would be to go and work at different National Parks across the country. The other option would be to travel around the back roads looking for old cars and trucks and bring them home to restore.
4. What do you enjoy most about teaching?
I enjoy interacting with students whether it is in a classroom or just in the hallway. I enjoy being a part of their learning process at any level. I believe that anytime you can be a positive influence and show a student that you care about them and their education is an important part of my job.
5. What are your hobbies?
My first and most important hobby is to spend time with my family. I also enjoy duck hunting and fishing whenever possible. Another activity that I enjoy is going camping especially when it is cold so sitting around a camp fire is possible. Besides my family and hunting, fishing, and camping I really enjoy going to National Parks to explore see the sites that nature has to offer.
6. What's one thing your students would be surprised to learn about you?
That I love to restore old cars and trucks in my spare time.
Nancy Darland - Nursing
1. Tell us about yourself.
I was grew up in Effie, LA, a rural community in Avoyelles Parish. My family raised cattle and I enjoyed horseback riding, playing basketball and was active in FHA in high school. Following graduation from Lafargue High School in 1976, I attended LA Tech. After completing the academic support courses for nursing, I transferred to Northwestern’s College of Nursing in Shreveport. I completed my BSN in 1979, then worked for three years in the Perinatal Unit at Bossier Medical Center. I returned to graduate school and completed my MSN with a focus in Maternal Child Health and Nursing Education in 1984. My husband, David and I returned to live in Ruston in 1983, where he assumed a position at the new American Bank. I began teaching nursing at LA Tech in 1984. I have also worked part time for Best Home Health and in the Women’s Center at what was Lincoln General Hospital. My daughter, Katy is a senior at LA Tech in Speech Language Pathology. My daughter, Leanna, is a sophomore in pre-pharmacy at ULM. My grandson, Bankston, who is now 5 years old, was born 12 weeks prematurely. Our family is active in the March of Dimes Organization, and Bankston serves as the Lincoln Parish Ambassador. I am active in the Louisiana State Nurses’ Association and serve as Co-Chair of the Continuing Education Committee for Providers. My family attends Temple Baptist Church.
2. How did you choose your career?
While in high school, I considered being a teacher or a nurse. My aunt, who returned to college and completed a nursing degree in her 40’s, convinced me that I could be a successful nurse. I had a summer job as a career trainee at Huey P. Long hospital in Pineville, LA and requested to work in the OB unit. Once there, I realized how much I enjoyed caring for new mothers and their babies. I obtained ANCC certification in Perinatal Nursing, and now have combined nursing and teaching in my role as a nurse educator at LA Tech.
3. If you weren’t a college professor, what would you be doing now?
I would be practicing nursing in a maternal/child area of clinical practice, either in a hospital, home health or clinic setting.
4. What do you enjoy most about teaching?
I greatly enjoy interaction with students and the influence I am able to have as a nurse educator to help them achieve their goals. I realize, that as faculty, I also serve as a professional role model. It is gratifying to know that I go with them in their practice as our graduates provide patient care. I enjoy receiving updates from former students related to their careers and families. I served as the LA Tech student nurses’ association advisor for 13 years and also enjoyed seeing the students assume leadership roles on the state and national level. I enjoy seeing nursing students give back to their communities as they implement service learning projects. It is rewarding when LA Tech students can assist community agencies with requests for projects related to maternal/child nursing. It is also a pleasure to work with such a dedicated LA Tech Nursing Faculty family.
5. What are your hobbies?
I am a fan of LA Tech athletics and enjoy attending games. I like to work in the yard and plant seasonal flowers. My favorite vacation is relaxing at the beach. I enjoy sewing and smocking, but don’t have much time for that anymore. I have been active in the Zeta Rho Chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha, a philanthropic sorority since 1984. We assist with various community projects, but our main focus is coordinating the annual St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Radiothon. I have coordinated the Kids in Safety Seats rental program since 1985, which has been operational longer than any other car seat rental program in Louisiana. I am fond of animals and have two Shelties and two cats that I enjoy.
6. What’s one thing your students would be surprised to learn about you?
I played basketball and was on the all-district team in high school. Rebounding was my specialty.
WILLIAM GREEN - Agricultural Sciences
1. Tell us about yourself.
I was born in Dubach, Louisiana and my wife Barbara and I currently reside on property adjoining where I was born. I graduated from Dubach High School, received my B.S. from Louisiana Tech, my Master’s from LSU, and my DVM from Auburn University. I starting teaching part time at Louisiana Tech in l980 and have been at Tech full time since l994. My duties at Tech consist of providing veterinary services for the equine, dairy, beef, swine, sheep and goat units and teaching courses such as anatomy and physiology, reproduction, endocrinology, and pathology. I am also an advisor for the Louisiana Tech Pre-Vet Club and spend a lot of time helping pre-vet students complete their applications for veterinary school. I have received advanced training in the fields of animal reproduction, zoonotic diseases, and bioterrorism awareness.
2. How did you choose your career?
I have always been associated with animal care in some manner. Fortunately, I grew up with animals as part of my life and decided at a young age that I would become a veterinarian. As long as I remember, my family owned dogs, cattle, and horses and at a young age I was very involved in activities such as rodeos and livestock events. My father owned a pulpwood and logging business and I had multiple opportunities to become part of that business but I was never really interested in that as an occupation. Becoming a veterinarian always seemed to be the logical choice for me.
3. If you weren’t a college professor, what would you be doing now?
This question is easy because I became a college professor while practicing veterinary medicine. I would go back to practicing clinical veterinary medicine full time if I wasn’t a college professor. If physical limitations restricted my clinical practice, I would be involved in some branch of veterinary medicine such as animal and food safety, disease surveillance, or regulatory medicine.
4. What do you most enjoy about teaching?
I have always said that I enjoy teaching because of the students. My classes are generally for junior and senior students and by the time they get to my courses, they are usually focused on their goals and seem receptive to the teaching methods I use. Students in the upper level courses that I teach are exposed to more information than ever before due to the internet and other entities. It is necessary for me to adequately prepare for the courses so I will be able to intelligently answer questions and provide current information. This in turn, helps me keep abreast of current techniques in animal disease diagnosis, treatment, and control. Teaching also allows me to prepare students for professional schools. I enjoy staying in contact with these students through their educational process and into their professional careers.
5. What are your hobbies?
Being a good grandfather to my 3 grandchildren is my most important hobby at this time. Other hobbies I enjoy are raising cattle and horses and working my border collie cattle dogs. I teach a Sunday school class and am involved with church activities. I enjoy watching sporting events such as football, basketball, football, and rough stock rodeo events. I was appointed by the governor to the Louisiana Board of Veterinary Medicine two years ago and now am the vice president of the board. I feel by serving on this board that I not only have the opportunity to serve the public and profession, but am also able to use my experiences to help direct future veterinarians regarding morals and ethics and animal welfare.
6. What’s one thing your students would be surprised to learn about you?
I was once the winner of a talent contest and my talent was singing. Hopefully no one recorded the show.
JANIE HOTT HUMPHRIES - Human Ecology
1. Tell us about yourself.
I was born in Gainesville, Texas, the sixth of eight children. My father died when I was 14 and Mother moved to Weatherford, Texas to work in a Children's Home. I lived in an apartment in the Children's Home with my Mother, my twin sister and my younger sister until I graduated from Weatherford Junior College and left to attend Texas Woman's University (TWU) in Denton, Texas. I received my BS from TWU, my M Ed from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas and my Ed D from East Texas State University (ETSU) in Commerce, Texas. ETSU is now Texas A&M-Commerce.
I have spent a good portion of my professional life working in and creating quality programs for young children. In the late 1960s I was a teaching and research assistant in a program that helped train some of the first kindergarten teachers in Texas. That job lead to the planning, implementation and directorship of the Model Learning Center, a lab school for three, four, and five years olds at East Texas State University. I served as the demonstration teacher and director of the Model Learning Center for 15 years. I also was part of a group that created and implemented kindergarten programs in Commerce and Greenville, Texas and in Noble, Oklahoma. Three colleagues and I created the Little Ark Preschool for three and four years in Commerce in 1970, and it is still functioning. I came to Tech as Coordinator of Early Childhood Education to direct the Nursery School/Kindergarten Teacher Certification Program. While at Tech I helped to create the Excellent Beginnings' Lincoln Institutions Networking for Children (LINC) at Lincoln Center which has been replicated in eight other states.
I serve as advisor to students in the Applied Child Development- Family and Child Studies BS program and teach graduate and undergraduate classes in Family and Child Studies that deal with young children and their programs.
I have served as president of the Texas Association of College Teachers (TACT) and the Louisiana Early Childhoods Association. I also have served on numerous state and national committees and task forces. For the past three years I have been a reviewer for the US Dept. of Education for two different types of Early Childhood Grants. I currently serve as the Louisiana Tech Student Louisiana Early Childhood Association (SLAECA) co-sponsor with Laura Chestnut, and as state SLAECA coordinator. I am chairman of the Southern Early Childhood Association Editorial Committee and will serve this fall as co-editor of Dimensions of Early Childhood Journal's theme edition, Gateway to Lifelong Learning. I belong to the National Association for the Education of Young Children and Delta Kappa Gamma Society International.
I have one son who is a professional photographer. He lives with his wife and their cat, Fredrico, in Wallington, NJ.
2. How did you choose your career?
Since I was in high school, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I have been around children most of my life and enjoyed working with children. Putting teaching and children together seemed natural to me. I had seven brothers and sister, lots of cousins, and I lived in a children's home where my mother took care of young children. I majored in Home Economics Education and found my favorite topic was child development. I have moved from public school teaching to university lab school teaching to university teaching. Many times the moves I have made were through being invited to consider a position or recommended to explore a possible opening. In some ways, I feel as if my career chose me.
3. If you weren’t a college professor, what would you be doing now?
If I were not a college professor, I would either be working for a professional early childhood/child development professional association or I would be an advocate for children in some public or government agency. I enjoy working with people and I believe in the importance of professional organizations, especially the work they do for improving the lives of young children.
4. What do you most enjoy about teaching?
I enjoy seeing my students use the material that we have covered in classes with children in an internship or in the students' first year of teaching. To know they have understood the material and the processes and that they can apply this information is wonderful to watch. The second part of my enjoyment comes when I see children responding positively to teachers who are teaching the way I taught them to teach.
5. What are your hobbies?
I enjoy reading a wide array of material from science fiction, to mystery novels, to self help books, to biblical and religious materials. I also enjoy reading a wide range of newspapers and magazines. Besides reading I enjoy traveling and visiting museums.
6. What is one thing your students would be surprised to learn about you?
I grew up on a farm in North Central Texas. I helped on the farm by driving a team of mules and milking by hand two to three cows twice a day (5:30 AM and 5:30 PM). I also won a blue ribbon at the Texas State Fair on my White Hens when I was 12 or 13 years of age.
PRERNA SETHI - Health Information Management
1. Tell us about yourself.
I was born in the city called Bhopal in India with family currently residing in New Delhi, India. I have my Bachelor and Masters (Computer Applications) degrees from India. After my marriage in 2002, I came to Ruston with my husband, Dr. Sumeet Dua (faculty of Computer Science here at Tech). I graduated in 2006 with my Ph.D. from Tech with a specialization in distributed biomedical computing. Subsequently, I worked as a Postdoctoral fellow with LSU Health Science Center, New Orleans and joined the department of Health Information Management (HIM) in September 2006 as an Assistant Professor.
My research interests are in the area of Data Mining for Health Informatics, Biomedical Image Analysis, Clinical Decision Support Systems and Interoperability of Electronic Health Record. I teach both undergraduate and graduate level courses in HIM with a focus on Information Technology in Healthcare. I am an active member of American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and participate in Louisiana Health Information Management Association (LHIMA). I am also a member of Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS).
2. How did you choose your career?
As a child I was motivated by my mother who is a school teacher. Since the start of my technical education, teaching evolved as my invigorating passion. After I got married to a Professor, I was constantly inspired by my husband’s synergistic approach to university service. The active fusion of scientific discovery and teaching gave me an exciting career option. My husband has an experience of about 6-7 years in this area and has been my role model ever since.
3. If you weren't a college professor, what would you be doing now?
It is hard to imagine for me to be outside of university profession. However, if I were not a college professor, I would have been working as corporate technical trainer for a research oriented Software Company.
4. What do you enjoy most about teaching?
The thing I like most about teaching is the feeling that I am able to make a difference in someone’s life. When I see the students’ faces lightened up with nodding heads after introducing something new to them gives me immense pleasure of accomplishments. Teaching is very exciting for me since it also provides me a means to stay updated with new technologies and is a reinforcing learning experience.
5. What are your hobbies?
It's hard to find time to indulge in hobbies with a 2 year old, but I immensely enjoy motherhood and family time. Apart from that I love to read non-fiction books and technology news.
6. What's one thing your students would be surprised to learn about you?
I was a psychology major, before I ventured into the area of Computer Science and Health Informatics.
LARRY SELLERS - Biological Sciences
1. Tell us about yourself.
I was born in Benton County, Arkansas, BWM, that is "before Wal-Mart" when poverty, not wealth, was the principal attraction. When I was an infant my family moved to western Michigan where I grew up and received my schooling. I then attended Bob Jones University in South Carolina, receiving a bachelor's degree in biology in 1965.
I sort of "returned home" to East Lansing to attend Michigan State University where I received a master's degree in biochemistry in 1968. This was followed by four years in Raleigh at North Carolina State University, receiving a PhD in entomology in 1971.
After a couple of short teachng stints, including an instructorship at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a post-doctoral position at Iowa State University, I joined the zoology faculty at Louisiana Tech in 1974. Initially, I was hired to teach Entomology and Invertebrate Zoology. Gradually, I began to teach more students in general biology and offered entomology for the last time in 2000. In the early 1980's I developed an interest in Medical Ethics and offered a course by that name for the first time in 1985. It has since grown in popularity to an enrollment of about 50 students each summer.
2. How did you choose your career?
My interest in teaching was fostered by the outstanding role models of my high school and college experiences. Intitially, I prepared for a career in high school teaching but later realized that the college level was more to my liking. My inspiration for studying insects was the direct result of being in Dr. Joseph Henson's class at Bob Jones University. Later, I combined my interest in insects and biochemistry by specializing in insect toxicology at NC State.
3. If you weren't a college professor, what would you be doing now?
If I were not a college professor, I would be.....hmmmmm.....lost I guess; I have never second guessed my career choice but if I were choosing today I would be very interested in forensic science and crime detection.
4. What do you enjoy most about teaching?
I enjoy the classroom experience immensely, but my true sense of accomplishment is seeing young graduates off to professional school. Indeed, many of the healthcare professionals that now treat me were once my students.
5. What are your hobbies?
I am hobby challenged; don't know why. Guess I had better develop some before retirement.
6. What's one thing your students would be surprised to learn about you?
My students would be most surprised to find out that I am a bit of a wine connoisseur. Well, not a connoisseur exactly because that would mean that I was buying expensive French wine and knew what I was doing. I prefer to go to Altus, Arkansas and buy Weiderkehr wine straight from the winery and get a scrumptious meal of authentic German food at the same time.
KATHY SCHUBERT - Nursing
1. Tell us about yourself.
My name is Katherine Kay Terrell Schubert. My hometown is Simsboro, Louisiana, and I still support the "SHS Tigers". I grew up in the country with some of the best neighbors in Antioch Community. After graduating from Simsboro High School, I received my BSN and MSN degrees from Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, Louisiana. I have worked as a Registered Nurse in Lincoln General Hospital, Green Clinic, and Alpine Nursing Home. I taught at Louisiana Tech University in the Division of Nursing from September 1975 - 1982, then entered the United States Air Force, Nurse Corps. I completed my military experience with the rank of Major. I taught at GSU School of Nursing and then returned in September 2004 to Tech to again teach in the Division of Nursing. My area of expertise is Mental Health/Psychiatric Nursing. I teach in the Nursing 110, "Introduction to the Application of the Nursing Process", and Nursing 116, "Adult Neuro/Psycho/Social Health Maintenance" courses. I participate in many of the activities of the Division of Nursing. These include division and course committees, class and clinical responsibilities, as well as serving as a Faculty Advisor for the LA Tech Student Nurse Association. As part of maintaining my professional role as a registered nurse, I work as a registered nurse on an as needed basis during weekends at a Behavioral Health Unit, and participate in these professional organizations: American Nurses Association, Louisiana State Nurses Association, Ruston District Nurses Association, National Organization for Associate Degree Nursing, Louisiana Organization for Associate Degree Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau, an international honorary nursing organization, American Psychiatric Association, National Alliance on Mental Illness, and National Alliance on Mental Illness-Ruston. I also hold an office in several of these organizations.
2. How did you choose your career?
For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to help people. At 8 years of age, I decided that I either wanted to be a medical doctor and be a missionary to Africa or a Catholic nun. I entered Louisiana Tech, upon graduation from high school, pursuing the pre-med curriculum. When I became engaged, I changed my major to Nursing and transferred to the NSU College of Nursing. I have been active in the profession of Nursing since my graduation. I love what I am doing and would not change to another field for anything!
3. If you weren't a college professor, what would you be doing now?
If I wasn't a college educator, I would be working in a Behavioral Health Management agency.
4. What do you enjoy most about teaching?
What I enjoy most about teaching is the sharing of something I love most, the art of nursing, to students so that they may go out into the world and continue what I have spent my life trying to accomplish - helping people live healthier, more productive lives.
5. What are your hobbies?
My hobbies are traveling with my husband, reading, playing with my grandchildren and playing with my dogs.
6. What's one thing your students would be surprised to learn about you?
The one thing that my students would be surprised to know about me is that I showed Hereford calves in 4-H in high school.
BILL PATTERSON - Forestry
1. Tell us about yourself.
If my accent is funny it's probably because I was born in Boston, and have lived there, England, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and South Louisiana. I graduated from Davidson College in North Carolina with a degree in sociology and anthropology. After a master's in ecology at Tennessee, I had a stint as a soil surveyor. At LSU, I learned about forested wetlands and soils. I have learned a lot about forest management and soils since coming to Tech in 1997. I met my wife, Jennifer, at LA Tech's Homecoming (ANS tent!) in 2003.
2. How did you choose your career?
I always have enjoyed the outdoors, and in college I worked two summers in forestry. Tree, plant ecology and soils courses were the only subjects that I always made A's in, so I took as many as I could. I developed an interest in forest vegetation and soils, particularly in wetlands, so Louisiana was the natural place for me to study them.
3. If you weren't a college professor what would you be doing now?
I would probably be either a wetland delineator/consultant or a soil surveyor.
4. What do you most enjoy about teaching?
I like it when students relate knowledge about soils, water or wetlands to their own experiences. I enjoy seeing them become more aware of the soils where they live, and how their properties influence land management.
5. What are your hobbies?
I love to fish, mostly in the pond behind my house. I like to explore, both around here, and other natural areas in our nation. Exploring in a canoe is best.
6. What is one thing your students would be surprised to learn about you?
In high school, I wrestled in the 98 pound class.
