Dear Fellow Alumni,
What a great day it is to be a Tiger and an LSU College of Agriculture Alumnus! I have had the sincere privilege and honor of serving as your alumni association president for two years and it will be an opportunity I will never forget and will treasure always. I want to congratulate Julie Richard as she takes over as your incoming College of Agriculture Alumni Association President!
The last two years were met with many struggles and changes due to the pandemic, however, I firmly believe that our college and our connections as alumni became stronger during this time. We have great things to celebrate, as 247 students graduated from the LSU College of Agriculture this spring. Our reach and impact continue to grow and solidify our commitment to student engagement and academic excellence. The class of 2022 hails from 11 states and 12 countries–just WOW!
I am so pleased that we were able to network in person, as an association this year. Our spring board meeting and crawfish boil were a great success. I would like to sincerely thank our board, our sponsors, Lindsey Kelly, and all who worked to ensure that this event was successful. We have many new people joining our board this year and many have expressed an interest in engaging across many initiatives and supporting our association and college.
I look forward to continuing to serve on the board and work with all of you as we continue to support and enhance the LSU College of Agriculture–a college we all owe a debt of gratitude to. I am thankful for your support and your friendship. I am forever grateful for my time as a student in the college, and the opportunity to continue to work with and support Louisiana agriculture. I hope everyone has a wonderful, safe summer.
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Geaux Tigers and Geaux Ag!
Tara Smith, PhD
LSU College of Agriculture Alumni Association,
Former President
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Welcome, New Ag Alumni Association President Julie Richard! |
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Julie Baker Richard is co-owner of Richard Farms where she and her husband farm 6600 acres of rice, soybeans, and crawfish north of Kaplan, La. Julie attended LSU where she obtained a Bachelor’s of Science in animal sciences, a master's, and a doctorate in human resource education with a minor in agricultural economics.
Her prior work experience includes the LSU College of Agriculture recruitment coordinator, La. Farm Bureau field service representative, and the assistant director of field services, coordinating women's and young farmer and rancher leadership programs.
Julie is a certified Louisiana master farmer. Julie and her husband, Christian were named National Outstanding Young Farmers by Farm Bureau in 2014. Julie also received the McLoy Fellowship for Agriculture in 2010 allowing her to travel across Germany and Belgium to study international agriculture.
Julie is the current president of the LSU Agriculture Alumni Association, a member of the 2022 USA Rice Leadership Class, active in Chez Elles Women’s civic organization, is a member of the student-parent club at her children's school, and attends Holy Rosary Catholic Church with her family. She and her husband have three children–Katherine, Saul, and Landry.
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This has been an amazing spring for the LSU College of Agriculture. At our May commencement, 247 students received their bachelor's degrees in the College of Agriculture, 18 received master's degrees, and 16 doctoral degrees were awarded.
Included in those numbers are six University Medalists, six Honors College graduates, and seven Distinguished Communicator Medalists. Out of the entire LSU class of senior applicants, four of the Tiger Twelve are graduates of the LSU College of Agriculture, and a fifth is graduating from the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. Second Lieutenant Thoma Arnold, a COA graduate, was commissioned into the United States Army.
Also this spring, Sabrina Taylor, professor in the School of Renewable Natural Resources, received LSU Foundation’s Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award. Campus Life recognized Henry Hebert, director of recruitment, with the Love Purple Live Gold Advisor of the Year Award, and Jennie Sparks, academic counselor, was honored as LSU University College's Academic Advisor of the Year.
Additionally, the 2022 Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education in the category of Strategic Partnerships was awarded to the LSU AgCenter-Mendel University International Food Symposium. At our Stakeholder Summit in March, we initiated a program for 4-year non-endowed scholarships, and have already received 17 commitments from COA Alumni.
It is an honor to work with innovative and dedicated students, faculty, staff, and alumni. We appreciate your continued interest in and support for the LSU College of Agriculture.
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Dr. Luke Laborde
Interim Vice President of Agriculture
Dean of the LSU College of Agriculture
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Fall Ag Alumni Speaker Series
You can look forward to participating in the Ag Alumni Speaker Series! Our Ag Alumni Speaker Series will be held virtually this year! Connect with alumni and learn about how they entered their career paths.
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September 16
Julie White
Ag Education, '00
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October 21
PJ Carleton
Textiles, Apparel, and Merchandising, '99
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November 11
Richard “Rick” Phillips
Poultry Science, '88; DVM, '94
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Les Voyageurs 35th Year Reunion
Friday, October 21, 2022
Les Voyageurs alumni, join us in celebrating 35 years of LSU College of Agriculture Les Voyageurs. The LV 35 Year Reunion is October 21 at Tin Roof Brewing Co. More details coming soon!
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Cocktails and Cuisine
Friday, November 4, 2022
Save the Date for the 9th Annual Cocktails and Cuisine Social, hosted by the LSU College of Agriculture and Ag Alumni Association. Cocktails and Cuisine will be held on LSU's campus the night before the Alabama v. LSU football game. Be on the lookout for event details during fall 2022!
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This fund also supports College of Ag programming and professional development for our students. From internships to travel to conferences, there are countless opportunities for students to continue their professional development, and we want to ensure that no student misses out on an experience because of the expense. |
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Four LSU College of Agriculture Students Recognized in the LSU Tiger Twelve Class of 2022 |
Four LSU College of Agriculture students represent the LSU Tiger Twelve Class of 2022. LSU’s Tiger Twelve is an initiative that highlights a select group of undergraduate seniors who have contributed to LSU campus life and positively impacted the Baton Rouge community. Each spring, 12 distinguished LSU seniors receive this prestigious recognition.
Josephine Engelman
Major: Environmental Management Systems
Maia Williams
Major: Animal Sciences
Alexia LaGrone
Major: Natural Resource Ecology and Management
Taylor Perrodin
Major: Agricultural Business
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William Gaspard, Jr.
“Fearless, relentless, and unapologetic advocate for agriculture.”
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From Moreauville, a small town about an hour southeast of Alexandria, William Gaspard is in his third year in the agricultural and extension education and evaluation program at LSU College of Agriculture, yet already a senior.
By taking two full semesters of college courses at LSU of Alexandria, while still in high school at the Louisiana School for the Agricultural Sciences in Bunkie, Gaspard put himself on the fast track. He will graduate this May and start law school this fall.
Gaspard’s dream is to advocate for farmers, something he’s already doing. By making sure farmers are heard and their needs met, he ultimately wants to protect America’s food supply and make sure the world’s growing population—expected to reach 9 billion by 2050—have enough to eat.
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The LSU College of Agriculture had six University Medalists graduate in the spring 2022 commencement: From left to right, Madison Marquette, nutrition and food sciences major from Donaldsonville; Melia Lindner, animal sciences major from Shalimar, Florida; Alexia LaGrone, natural resource ecology and management major from Lafayette; and Alexis Theriot, nutrition and food sciences major from Hammond. Not pictured: Jordan Mouton, natural resource ecology and management major from Hayes, and Angela Fang, animal sciences major from Mandeville. |
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LSU College of Agriculture celebrates class of 2022 |
The college recognized graduates for their outstanding academic performance and various honors and distinctions.
Six graduates earned the academic honor of University Medal by maintaining the highest GPA in their class while pursuing their degrees.
Three graduates earned the designation of Distinguished Researcher by LSU Discover for demonstrating their outstanding ability as an advanced student researcher in their discipline.
LSU Communication Across the Curriculum awards the LSU Distinguished Communicator Medal to outstanding student communicators who have completed communication-intensive coursework and completed a portfolio.
Second Lieutenant Thomas Arnold was commissioned into the United States Army the day before graduation. Arnold is an animal sciences major from Baton Rouge. He will report to Air Defense Artillery School in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, after graduation.
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Nominate a Krewe Member!
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This fund also supports College of Ag programming and professional development for our students. From internships to travel to conferences, there are countless opportunities for students to continue their professional development, and we want to ensure that no student misses out on an experience because of the expense. |
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Deacue Fields
PhD in Agricultural Economics '02
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Deacue Fields has been recommended as the next vice president for agriculture for the University of Arkansas System.
He is the current dean of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas.
Fields received his doctorate in agricultural economics from LSU in 2002.
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Michael Venker
Agricultural Business '78
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Michael and Debra Venker donated $50,000 to the LSU Foundation to establish a support fund to benefit the College of Agriculture at LSU.
The fund supports the Venker Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Scholarship, which awards $10,000 in scholarships annually over five years. In the interest of promoting diversity in enrollment, the scholarship is awarded to students who are demographically underrepresented in the college.
The LSU Foundation and College of Agriculture acknowledge the donation with profound gratitude and appreciation for the Venker family.
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LSU College of Agriculture News:
Fall 2021
Find more news from the LSU College of Agriculture. Learn about what has happened on campus over the fall.
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The Dean’s Council is a devoted group of alumni and friends of the College of Agriculture that support its mission. Dean’s Council members provide an unrestricted annual gift of $1,000 to support the priorities of the Dean, student scholarships, and academic needs. |
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Connect with the LSU College of Agriculture |
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