With just a few days left in her reign as Miss Louisiana Tech University 2024, Kaylyn Murphy takes some time in this episode to reflect on her year. She speaks about winning the crown at the beginning of 2024, the importance and joys of representing her university with confidence and integrity, and her lessons learned and memories made during the biggest moments of her pageant life.

Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/

Email: [email protected]

Join Gavin, Cami, and Teddy from the University Communications crew as they recap some of the biggest moments and most important stories from Louisiana Tech's 2024. From leadership changes to enrollment growth and from groundbreaking research to alumni spotlights, this episode touches on what made the year great for the Bulldogs. Also included is a glimpse into the upcoming year and the exciting future of Louisiana Tech.

Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/

Email: [email protected]

Dr. Julie Moulard, an associate professor of marketing at Louisiana Tech University, discusses her academic journey from mass communications to marketing, her research on consumer suspense, and her current focus on brand authenticity. She explains the three types of authenticity: true to ideal, true to fact, and true to self, and how they apply to brands and social media influencers. Moulard emphasizes the importance of experiential learning in marketing education and discusses the rise of personal brands, and she also highlights the evolving dynamics between brands and influencers.

Marketing at Louisiana Tech: business.latech.edu/undergraduate-programs/marketing/

Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/

Email: [email protected]

Dr. John Worsencroft recently became the director of Louisiana Tech University's School of History and Social Sciences. In this new role, he's learned to get the most out of both his passion for teaching in the classroom and his administrative duties to the School and to the College of Liberal Arts. He spends this episode discussing his educational background, his time in the United States Marine Corps, and his teaching philosophy. He stresses the importance of learning how to learn, and he gives his thoughts on the political nature of history in higher education.

Dr. Worsencroft's Website: johnworsencroft.com

Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/

Email: [email protected]

When Louisiana Tech President Jim Henderson took office at the start of 2024, his longtime UL System office colleague Cami Geisman and her family joined in the journey to Ruston, Louisiana. Geisman, Tech's executive VP for external affairs, spends this episode talking about the move to Tech being her first ever move from her hometown of Baton Rouge, the sense of community in Ruston that made it so easy for her and her family to fall so quickly in love with the city, and the dynamics of her job that have her convinced Louisiana Tech is the perfect place to live and learn.

LA Tech University Communications: brand.latech.edu

Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/

Email: [email protected]

Students Cade Jordan and Reagan Patrick, the current LA Tech Union Board president and vice president, are both involved, dedicated, and hardworking students with bright futures. Managing their extracurriculars on top of their busy senior years isn't always easy, but they take the time on this episode to explain why Union Board and the events they're tasked with putting on for the University are so near and dear to their hearts.

LA Tech Union Board: theunionboard.com

Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/

Email: [email protected]

Let Dr. Heath Tims reintroduce himself in his new engagement-focused role and break down the ideas behind the latest iteration of Louisiana Tech's Homecoming. He discusses the community-focused mindset behind the structure of this year's events, the details of some of the highlights of Homecoming Week, and the goal of the Alumni Association to connect with the Tech Family near and far.

LA Tech Homecoming Events: 1894.latech.edu/homecoming

Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/

Email: [email protected]

Associate Professor Joanna Ward was born into a Louisiana Tech lineage. Ruston, LA was always going to be her first and only choice to pursue her education. It's no surprise, then, that she now dedicates her time to enriching the lives of her students and pushing the health informatics and information programs at Tech further into the future. She discusses her personal journey in the healthcare sector, explains some background info on the HIIM operations at the University, and praises the partnerships that help turn the wheels of the institution she calls home.

HIIM at Louisiana Tech: ans.latech.edu/health-informatics-information-management/

Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/

Email: [email protected]

Dr. Gary Kennedy, now the dean of LA Tech's College of Applied and Natural Sciences, is a Tech alum that's been at the University for 27 years. He spends this episode talking about ANS's growth and change over the decades, the special status of programs like nursing, biology, and forestry within the college, and the upcoming Forest Products Innovation Center project that will change the landscape of South Campus forever. He even takes some time to show off his auctioneering talents, a skill he's honed over 40+ years of practice.

The College of Applied & Natural Sciences: ans.latech.edu

Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/

Email: [email protected]

Interviewed by guest host LeAnn Waldroup from the College of Business, Dean Chris Martin recounts the stops in his career that brought him to Louisiana Tech and talks about all things COB. He shares details on the College's sky-high placement rates and the sustained growth and success of their programs. He gets excited about new features and updates within the College (like a café area in the building) and beams with pride when mentioning he'll soon be a grandfather.

The College of Business: business.latech.edu

Website: 1894.latech.edu/beyond/

Email: [email protected]