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Dr. Bob Cunningham doesn’t teach accounting as much as he teaches individual people who happen to be students. A three-time College of Business graduate (1973, MBA 1985, DBA 1996), Cunningham is Louisiana Tech’s second Executive in Residence and the first to tell you that his faith calls him to make connections with people, specifically students, in ways that instruct and encourage in an atmosphere of authenticity and inclusion. He was the president of his high school class in the late 1960s in Ringgold, came to Tech—and flunked out. But a couple of calls from home gave him the will to try again, and then several Tech professors reached out, convinced him they cared, encouraged him to chase the successful soul that was inside—and he did. He talks about those experiences—not all of them uplifting—and how the sum total, along with a love of accounting, entrepreneurial spirit, and his desire to see students succeed, led him back into the classroom and back into the lives of business students. Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/ Email: 1894@latech.edu Download the transcript to this episode. Learn more about the College of Business Learn more about the School of Accountancy Learn more about Digital Commons

When Dr. Terri Murray was a child, she was the kid who turned every rock over, brought turtles home, and looked through magazines for pictures of wild animals. She was a born scientist and engineer — but she was also a female in high school in the late 1960s when women weren’t scientists and engineers. As a young adult, she was successful in helping her husband start a couple of businesses, but none of that was her passion. She found it one night while watching a television show. When she saw a paraplegic walk on his own after scientists and engineers put wires in his legs, she practically leapt from her sofa and told her husband, “I want to do THAT!” And she is. After going back to college with students who were her children’s age, Dr. Murray is an associate professor of biomedical engineering, a field she “stumbled into” before she even knew it existed. This little-girl explorer is now exploring ways to develop solutions to neurological disorders and traumatic brain injuries as the director of Tech’s Integrated Neuroscience and Imaging Laboratory. Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/ Email: 1894@latech.edu Download the transcript to this episode. Learn more about the Biomedical Engineering program in the College of Engineering and Science here at Louisiana Tech University. Learn more about the Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Science. Learn more about the Parkinson Resource Center.

If you ask Libby Manning what she’s been reading, be prepared to stick around a while. When she was 10, her little sister was the only 3-year-old in town who understood phonics, all thanks to “playing school” in the garage. Teaching is part of what Dr. Libby Manning, an associate professor in the College of Education at Louisiana Tech University, was called to do. After graduating from Louisiana Tech, she taught kindergarteners in Shreveport, first graders in Jackson, Miss., then taught for 17 years, mostly fifth grade, at A.E. Phillips Lab School in Ruston. Very few things she’s done in the classroom during her career encouraging and guiding students have been made up on the spot; Manning is all about strategy. Her belief is that to learn in the classroom, you have to build a community, you have to be able to have fun while you’re learning “to help it stick,” and that we have to be physically, socially, and cognitively engaged. In this episode of Beyond 1894, Manning shares with listeners some strategies on reading and on teaching, and why she believes that “we’re never finished learning. It’s an ongoing process we go through as readers. The way we get our world changed is one reader at a time and one writer at a time.” Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/ Email: 1894@latech.edu Download the transcript to this episode. Learn more about the College of Education.

While we’re trying to figure out how to baste a turkey or steal a decent dressing recipe to help us make it through the holidays, Dr. Gergana Nestorova, assistant professor in Louisiana Tech’s Department of Biological Sciences and program chair for Tech’s Molecular Science and Nanotechnology (MSNT) program, is aiding NASA in learning how to farm off Earth — and with no earth. Nestorova created a new technology to more effectively analyze plant material, which will be used by a team of scientists who are discovering how to grow vegetable gardens in microgravity. These vegetable gardens will provide nutrition to astronauts on missions to the moon, and later Mars. When Man shoots for Mars, the journey alone will challenge any current “Use By” date: it takes six to nine months just to get there. On this episode of Beyond 1894, Nestorova, her undergraduate researcher, Francesca Weis, and NASA astronaut and scientist Serena Auñón-Chancellor, who spoke at Tech as part of its New Frontiers series, offer space food for thought. Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/ Email: 1894@latech.edu Download the transcript to this episode. Dr. Nestorova’s lab – The Applied Genomics and Biotechnology Lab

Dr. Davy Norris, Chief Research and Innovation Officer at Louisiana Tech, interviews Dr. Yuri Lvov, Tolbert Pipes Eminent Endowed Chair in Micro and Nanosystems, for this episode of Beyond 1894. As a chemist, Dr. Lvov is recognized as one of the most influential nanoscience researchers in the world over the past 25 years. When he faced academic challenges in Russia, his home country, he started anew in Germany, where he teamed up with another chemist to invent the method he is now famous for – materials self-assembly. In this episode, Dr. Lvov explains his method of materials self-assembly and how it impacts nanotechnology and the medical industry. The conversation also gets personal: Dr. Lvov discusses what it was like for his family living in a Siberian Soviet labor camp during Stalin’s reign, what it was like growing up in Russia, and how he eventually made his way to Louisiana Tech University. Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/ Email: 1894@latech.edu Download the transcript to this episode. Dr. Yuri Lvov’s Website Dr. Yuri Lvov’s Selected Works Page

Dr. Davy Norris, Chief Research and Innovation Officer at Louisiana Tech, interviews Dr. Leon Iasemidis, Rhodes Eminent Scholar Chair and Director of Tech’s Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Science, for this episode of Beyond 1894. Iasemidis has spent his academic career learning about the brain and discovering new insights for the larger scientific community. He’s the lead scientist of the NeuroNEM project funded by the National Science Foundation, and through this research, his team of scientists are finding ways to predict, and perhaps even prevent, seizures.  In this episode, Norris and Iasemidis discuss the scientific communities’ current knowledge of the brain, the research Iasemidis and his associates are conducting, and his inspiration for doing this most important and groundbreaking work. Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/ Email: 1894@latech.edu Download the transcript to this episode. NeuroNEM website Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Science website Brain Dynamics Laboratory website Dr. Leon Iasemidis’s website

Theatre is storytelling brought to life — live and in person without a social media filter — and it has been entertaining people for centuries. There is magic in how real and authentic the story can feel, but when dramatic scenes include violence, it’s important the brutality remains an illusion. Mark Guinn, Director of Louisiana Tech’s School of Theatre, is a Fight Master of Stage Combat with the Society of American Fight Directors and a Certified Teacher with the British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat. He makes sure every punch, stab, and swing on stage looks real while being fake. In this episode, Davy Norris interviews Mark Guinn about his experiences as a fight master, a lighting design technician, a stage combat teacher, and a theatre professor here at Tech. No legs were broken in the making of this episode. Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/ Email: 1894@latech.edu Download the transcript to this episode.

Getting an education isn’t easy, but it’s an accomplishment worth all the long days and late nights. Programs such as Complete LA are meant to alleviate some of the pressures that keep returning students and adult learners from achieving their educational goals. But even with those sorts of helpful programs, sometimes it’s still hard to imagine our goals actually becoming reality. If you need inspiration or a bit of hope, listen to Yonna Pasch tell her incredible story of how she faced and overcame challenges by becoming her own best advocate. “If you know what you want to get done and what you want to accomplish, you are the best person to make that happen,” she said during this installment of Beyond 1894. “And I learned it through my cancer journey, my internship, and the doctoral program here at Tech.” Pasch is the Director of Student Activities and Organizations at Northwestern State University of Louisiana. She recently graduated with a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership from Louisiana Tech. She is the perfect example of how universities within the UL system work together to advance the education of our state. Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/ Email: 1894@latech.edu Download the transcript to this episode. Check out the graduate programs within the the department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership.

It’s human nature for us to say, “I won’t believe it until I see it.” It worked the other way around for Louisiana Tech’s Dr. Edward Bell. The director of the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness, Edward didn’t believe he had much of a future after becoming blind; he couldn’t see one. But through education and training, he was given hope and resources — and an optimistic vision that would change his life and the lives of many others. While some aspects of his life have been altered, physical blindness hasn’t stopped him from having a fulfilling career, a beautiful family, and a rewarding life. He shares this story and more in this episode. See what you think. Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/ Email: 1894@latech.edu Download the transcript to this episode. Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness website Louisiana Center for the Blind website To learn about Edward Bell’s research, check out his Selected Works profile.

Devonia Love-Vaughn has arms long enough to reach you, encourage you, and gently push you toward positive change. With a background in social work and in higher education, Devonia has been dedicated to giving children and young adults the space and resources they need to grow. As the newly appointed Dean of Inclusion Initiatives and Student Success, she hopes to strengthen Tech’s legacy of being a home to all students. In this episode, Devonia talks about her background in social work, the meaning and importance of inclusion, and how the Office of Multicultural Affairs is helping diverse communities on campus feel a part of the Tech Family. Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/ Email: 1894@latech.edu Download the transcript to this episode. Visit the Office of Multicultural Affairs website to learn more about their scholarships, workshops, and student organizations.

Each of us buys and sells, in some way, most every day. Social distancing has changed the way we interact with each other, including the way we buy and sell products. This interview was produced before the mid-March quarantine began, but the topic – the who, what, when, where, and why of sales – is always timely. Louis Zmich, a Louisiana Tech marketing doctoral student and president of the university’s Doctor of Business Administration Association, shares with us about the relationship aspect of sales and marketing, the importance of human touch, and how technology is drastically changing one of the oldest occupations in human history. Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/ Email: 1894@latech.edu Download the transcript to this episode. To learn more about Louis Zmich, check out his SelectedWorks profile. To learn more about the Doctor of Business Administration program at Louisiana Tech, check out the program webpage.

How well do you sleep? In this episode, Dr. Walter Buboltz, a psychology professor, talks about sleep hygiene – ways we can increase the quality of our sleep. He explains how some of our daily habits have more of an effect than we realize. Listen to this episode, get better sleep, and stay healthy! Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/ Email: 1894@latech.edu Download the transcript to this episode. To learn more about Walter Buboltz, check out his SelectedWorks profile.

Chief Research and Innovation Officer Dr. Davy Norris interviews Dr. Ramu Ramachandran, Associate Vice President for Research, the Dean of the Graduate School, the Director of the Institute for Micromanufacturing, and a T. L. James Eminent Scholar Chair Professor. A series of accidents, both literal and figurative, led Ramu to computational chemistry and Louisiana Tech. He started working here in 1989 and has since been involved in several projects, two of which have been $20 million projects funded by the National Science Foundation. Davy and Ramu venture into Ramu’s academic journey and make connections to work, computational science, and some of the projects that have been the most meaningful to Ramu. Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/ Email: 1894@latech.edu Download the transcript to this episode. To learn more about Dr. Ramu Ramachandran, check out his SelectedWorks profile, his personal webpage, and the Institute for Micromanufacturing.

With purpose and passion, architects both tie us together and give us some space. As a professor of architecture, Karl teaches his students to design spaces that go beyond their practical purposes to also support the creation of meaningful experiences. As the director of the School of Design, he hopes to facilitate collaboration between his department and the community. Listen to Karl share his personal journey, including the collaboration between the architecture program and MedCamps to make traditional camp experiences accessible to children with physical disabilities, the brewing company he founded with former student Cassidy Keim, and his goals for the future. Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/ Email: 1894@latech.edu Download the transcript to this episode. The School of Design website Utility Brewing Company website MedCamps website

What happens when education meets caring and collides with chemistry? A sort of mentorship magic, illustrated in today’s episode. Amy Bell interviews Dr. Marsha Cole and Sierra Napoleon. Dr. Cole is a lecturer in the chemistry department, and Sierra is a senior in her capstone class. Dr. Cole has had quite an academic journey, from not believing she could go to college to getting a doctoral degree in chemistry and becoming a lecturer. Her life was changed by mentorship, and she is now passionate about mentoring others. Sierra tells us how Dr. Cole has helped her become a more confident chemist. For her capstone project, Sierra recently studied homeopathic remedies to treat gynecological infections, so they explain what homeopathic remedies are and why someone would use them. Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/ Email: 1894@latech.edu Download the transcript to this episode. Check out Dr. Cole’s Selected Works profile to learn more about her research. Sierra Napoleon recently presented at the 2020 Undergraduate Research Symposium. View the abstract to her poster presentation in our digital repository.

The hosts of Beyond 1894, Amy Bell and Teddy Allen, introduce the podcast and themselves. Teddy shares some Louisiana Tech history you might not know, and Amy explains why we are going beyond 1894. Each of our episodes will include an interview segment with a member of the Tech family, and for today’s episode, Amy and Teddy talk about their personal backgrounds, what brought them to Tech, and how being here has changed their lives. Amy Bell and Teddy Allen both work in the department of University Communications at Louisiana Tech University. Amy is a research communications specialist, and Teddy is a writer. Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/ Email: 1894@latech.edu Download transcript