Alexandria, La. (5/6/2026) – Louisiana State University of Alexandria held its annual Employee Recognition Dinner on Tuesday, May 5, to celebrate the hard work and dedication of faculty and staff.
The most prestigious recognition awarded each year is the Bolton Award for Teaching Excellence. Established in 1989, the estate of Mrs. James C. Bolton provides funds to the University for an award to recognize excellence in teaching at LSUA.
The Bolton Award for Teaching Excellence is presented annually to the full-time faculty member who best exemplifies the University’s commitment to teaching, service, and professional development. The recipient of this honor is recognized with a cash award and a plaque for outstanding contributions to the University.
The Bolton Award recipient for 2024-2025 is Melissa LaBorde, M.A., APR, Associate Professor of Communication Studies.
The Staff Senate Boss of the Year award is given by direct reports to a manager who demonstrates excellence in personnel management, leadership, responsibility, and professionalism. This year’s winner is Kristen Meche-Miller, MBA, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Administration.
The Staff Senate Scholarship is awarded to two full-time staff members to defray the costs of achieving a degree or continuing their education. This year’s scholarship recipients are Brannin Hagan, Assistant Softball Coach, pursuing his bachelor’s, and Alacia Caillier, M.A., currently pursuing an Ed.D.
Student Choice Awards are included in this year’s program. Current LSUA students nominate the awardees. The winners are:
- Outstanding Staff Service recognizes a staff member who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to supporting students – Jennifer Parish, Assistant Director of Advising.
- Life-Changing Class recognizes an educator whose class has fundamentally altered a student’s academic, professional, or life goals – Jacob Whitmore, Assistant Professor of Business.
The Center for Teaching Excellence Teaching Innovation Award and Grant are given to showcase and reward innovative teaching in the classroom. This work is made possible through financial support from the LSUA Foundation. The winners are:
- Teaching Innovation Award – Cole Franklin, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Communication Studies, honored for his work with the Speaking Center.
- Teaching Innovation Grant – Purujit “PJ” Gurjar, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Chemistry, honored for his work on 3D printing chemical bonds and processes.
The Outstanding Staff Service Award program began in the 1970-71 academic year as a means of recognizing and rewarding superior performance and outstanding contributions to the University by non-teaching employees. The recipient of this honor receives a plaque and a cash award for his or her service to LSUA.
This year’s recipients of the Staff Outstanding Service Award are Lisa Watkins, Custodian (Classified), and Sarah Corley, Children’s Center Director (Unclassified).
The Faculty Award for Outstanding Scholarship is presented to a full-time faculty member who has contributed peer-reviewed scholarly work that has advanced their field of study. This year’s recipient is Holly Wilson, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy and Religion.
The Service Above Self Award is given to an individual who has gone above and beyond the call of duty throughout the past year to ensure the well-being of LSUA students. The award is presented by LSUA Chancellor Paul Coreil. This year’s recipient is Michelle Rozas, FNP-C, Nurse Practitioner of the LSUA Health Center.
The Rising Star Award is presented annually to a staff member who has worked at LSUA for fewer than five years and who has made outstanding, novel contributions to institutional operations, campus culture, or programming. This year, the award goes to Twana Chestand, LPC, NCC, NCSC, Counselor.
The Four-Star Service Award is presented annually to a staff member who has worked at LSUA for more than ten years and has consistently demonstrated a commitment to the university by making long-lasting contributions to the institution’s operations, student success, and campus culture. This year, the award goes to June Guillory, Human Resources Analyst.
LSUA also recognizes the recipients of eleven endowed professorships. The professorships are established through private donations to the LSUA Foundation and matched through the Board of Regents Support Fund to establish a $100,000 professorship endowment.
The recipients of this year’s endowed professorships are:
J.H. Johnson Endowed Professorship in Business – Andree Taylor, Instructor of Accounting
Cliffe E. Laborde, Sr. Endowed Professorship in Education – Brandi Stanley, M.Ed., Instructor of Secondary Education
F. Hugh Coughlin Endowed Professorship – Tomesha Farris, Ph.D., Department Chair of Psychology
Henry Dade Foote Family Endowed Professorship – Pedro Santos, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Agriculture
Vinita Johnson Martin Endowed Professorship – Amanda DuBois, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology & Director of the Honors Experience
Mark Eugene Howard Professorship – Eric Alai, M.A., Instructor of English
Roy & Vinita Martin Endowed Professorship in Math & Science – Jessica Ringo, Ph.D., Department Chair of Chemistry & Physics
Howard & Eloise Mulder Endowed Professorship #2 – Elizabeth Duck, MHI, MLS, (ASCP)CM, Assistant Professor and Medical Laboratory Science Program Director
Howard & Eloise Mulder Endowed Professorship #3 – Cheryl Bardales, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
LSUA Endowed Professorship in Interdisciplinary Innovation – Courtnei Davis, M.S., Instructor of Kinesiology
LSUA Endowed Professorship in Experiential Excellence – Ahmed Sleman, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Endowed professors receive a salary stipend as well as additional funds for professional development or travel activities. Professorships are usually awarded for a two-year term.
LSUA also honored seven employees who retired in the past year, as well as all employees who have 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 years of service to LSUA, including Sultan Parvez with 25 years and James Mitchell with 30 years of service at LSUA.
Written by Adam Lord
Photo credit – LSUA Strategic Communications
Image – Melissa “Missy” LaBorde, M.A., APR, winner of the Bolton Award for Teaching Excellence
