Through bravery and determination, alumna Patricia Campbell was able to create a successful future for herself and her child.

BY SHERI GIBSON

During Hurricane Katrina, alumna Patricia Campbell’s house was engulfed in water, and her cherished Southeastern yearbooks were lost. Earlier this year she was presented with these pieces of memorabilia. As she carefully pored over the pages, taking them in, her recollections of life at Southeastern in the 1970s came bubbling to the surface, and a stirring story of determination began to unfold.

Patricia, who always excelled in school, was originally from New Orleans. At 13, she and her family relocated.

“My mom moved us to Springfield, and we lived in a little shack back in the woods. She was gone most of the time, and I had three younger siblings. I had one older sister, but she married and moved out after we got there. So, I was basically taking care of my three other siblings from the time I was 13. Through all of that, I just didn’t see that life for the kids I might have one day. For me, that was my focus, and I knew that my only way out was education. So, I did what I had to do.”

Patricia knew she wanted more, for both herself and her future children, and to guarantee that she would need to rely on herself. Driven by this realization and determination, she continued to shine academically, even through being part of the first integrated class in Springfield in 1970. She took the ACT test, applied to Southeastern, and was accepted to begin that fall.

During her freshman year, Patricia commuted daily via bus from Springfield to Hammond.

“I would get up, do what I could to help my siblings prepare for the day before I left, and then catch that bus,” she said. “The bus would stop in the middle of Hammond, where the bus station was by the railroad tracks, and I would walk the rest of the way to Southeastern. I did that for an entire year. And at the end of the year, my mom decided to move the kids back to New Orleans. I made the decision that I wasn’t going.”

When her family left, Patricia applied for student loans then packed up her own belongings and moved onto Southeastern’s campus, first in Livingston Hall then eventually Hammond Hall. She also changed her major from education to business accounting.

“I just knew I had to go to school. So whatever challenges I faced, I took them on. Because I knew I had to do this, and whatever needed to be done I had to deal with it and stick it out,” Patricia said.

And her dedication indeed paid off. Upon graduation in 1974, she began her first job as an accounting clerk, and only a couple of years later she accepted a position as an accountant for the Superdome. Upon her retirement, she held the position of assistant director of accounting services for Tulane University, where she worked for 34 years.

But perhaps even more importantly, she was able to fulfill the wish she had when still only a teenager. When she did have a child, she was able to give him a warm life and a bright future. Her son is Paul Matthews, the current CEO of the Port of South Louisiana.

This bond she has with her child is so great that it seems impermeable even to the torrential waters of Hurricane Katrina. “Everything in my house was totally underwater, except one thing,” she reflected. “When I finally got to go to my house, his baby picture was on the wall. I couldn’t believe it. Everything else was on the floor—but that picture was on the wall, and it gave me hope.”

Today Patricia is able to enjoy a well-earned retirement, volunteering her accounting services for her church, indulging in mystery novels and shows, and, especially, watching her son enjoy an amazing life of his own.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development recently announced that it is awarding Southeastern a sizable grant to help support medical professionals. The organization awarded $651,207 to the university through the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program to fund Southeastern’s telehealth project.

USDA Rural Development Louisiana State Director Deirdre Deculus Robert said the funds will enable Southeastern to provide telehealth carts, peripherals, and portable telehealth kits to equip three hub sites and several end-users throughout Tangipahoa, St. Tammany, St. Helena, Washington, and Livingston parishes.

“This project is a ‘win-win’ for all involved. Not only will rural community citizens receive much-needed health care monitoring, but our students will also obtain real-world training as well,” said Southeastern President William S. Wainwright. “We have had amazing success with projects to improve health care in our area communities from two previous USDA grants, and I know this project will be just as successful and have significant, positive impacts on our rural communities.”

Ann Carruth, dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences and principal investigator for the grant, said all of the parishes in the service area have been designated as Medically Underserved Areas, as well as Primary and Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas.

According to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (2017), Louisiana rates near the top in the nation with highest death rates from chronic diseases: first in septicemia, second in kidney disease, third in stroke, and fifth in heart disease and cancer. In its 2021 Community Needs Assessment, need was noted for access to continuity of care, mental and behavioral health, and education and health literacy.

Southeastern’s project will benefit 167,016 individuals through hub sites including Hood Memorial Hospital in Amite City and St. Tammany Parish Hospital in Covington. It will have a predominant focus on telehealth with a secondary use of distance learning for health careers, particularly those with a mental health focus. Each site will connect to specialty providers of their choice to bring specialty care with an emphasis on mental health, hospitalists, emergency care, and chronic disease.

The hub/end-user sites will pilot test Healthcare at Home, a project designed to retain patients in care, avoid unnecessary Emergency Department usage, and protect immune-compromised individuals from hospital and healthcare setting-acquired infections. As part of the project, loaner telehealth devices for patients to use at home will be provided, as well as portable telehealth devices for nurses, health coaches, and other care professionals to use during home visits.

Southeastern will use the project to provide healthcare career distance learning education to the classroom sites. They will also use it to provide tele-supervision and precepting to nursing students during clinical rotations at the sites, with a focus on psychiatric nurse practitioners.

Southeastern recently deployed four buoys for independent, scientific monitoring of the Lake Maurepas ecosystem to monitor Air Products’ work on its Louisiana Clean Energy Complex. The data from those buoys is now posted on the university’s website and can be accessed at southeastern.edu/lakemaurepas.

The page contains the real-time water quality readings from four continuous monitoring buoys in Lake Maurepas: the Amite, Blind, Maurepas, and Tickfaw buoys. By providing real-time data, the aim is to enhance the community’s understanding of Lake Maurepas’ current status and to elevate their awareness regarding water quality and atmospheric conditions in the area. Individuals simply need to click on the buoys in the interactive map to learn more details about each one.

“We are excited to share with the public the buoy data that is collected in real time,” said Southeastern President William S. Wainwright. “All concerned parties can be assured that our scientists are consistently monitoring and analyzing the data from the buoys.”

Scientists from Southeastern are monitoring the marine life populations (fishes, crabs, shrimp), as well as the plant life in the surrounding wetlands, and also watching and studying any variations in water quality with data that is collected seven days a week.

The water quality parameters monitored by the buoys include CO2, temperature, turbidity, specific conductivity, salinity, dissolved oxygen concentration, percent dissolved oxygen and pH. The Blind buoy is also fitted with a weather station that monitors atmospheric conditions in addition to water quality. This includes air temperature, rain total, rain intensity, dew point, barometric pressure, relative humidity, wind speed, wind gust speed, and wind direction. All water quality and meteorological parameters are measured every 30 minutes, seven days a week.

The Department of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Southeastern is proud to announce the opening of its state-of-the-art Biomechanics and Motor Behavior Lab.

Boasting two three-dimensional optical motion capture systems, three mounted force plates seamlessly embedded within a platform walkway, and a wireless electromyography system, the lab emerges as a hub of advanced technology and the best in the state. The motion capture systems allow for the tracking of major segments and joints of the body, providing for a thorough description of practically any movement performed. The force plates provide even more information regarding the forces acting on the body to cause its motion. Finally, the electromyography system measures the activity of select muscles during movement. Through the seamless integration of these state-of-the-art tools, the lab is capable of conducting detailed and comprehensive analyses of human movement to help our understanding of human motion across diverse fields—from enhancing sports performance to advancing clinical rehabilitation.

Much of the new lab equipment was funded through a Board of Regents grant and a Southeastern Student Technology Fee Matching Funds grant, which were obtained during the 2021-2022 academic year under the lead of Dr. Brandi Decoux and assisted by Dr. Ryan Green, Dr. Charity Bryan, Chad Dufrene, and Dr. Daniel Hollander. The equipment funded by these grants includes two large force plates and a virtually weatherproof optical motion capture system capable of being used outdoors, all of which provide a means of analyzing human movement in a variety of settings using technology that is consistent with what is used by clinicians, practitioners, and researchers in the students’ future careers fields. The Southeastern Student Technology fee also helped to fund the raised flooring platform in which the force plates are embedded, flush with the flooring surface, to create an over-ground walkway.

Much of the lab renovation came as a result of the devastation caused by Hurricane Ida during the Fall 2021 semester.  The Kinesiology and Health Studies (KHS) Building was one of the facilities on campus that was most impacted by Hurricane Ida. A leak in the roof proved to be costly for Room 150 of the KHS Building, which was where all of the biomechanics equipment was housed. Due to rainwater that had collected on and below the then wooden floor, and the excessively high humidity that ensued in that room, very little equipment was salvageable. As a result, the motion capture and electromyography systems were unusable and needed to be replaced. Following all of the damage, though, came the rebirth of a high-value research and learning space for Kinesiology and Health Studies students and faculty to study and analyze how the body moves.

Prior to the acquisition of the new technology described above, lab experiences for students were limited.  For example, Dr. Decoux’s past graduate Biomechanics class had to rely solely on video-based movement analysis software to carry out their projects. While this technology is still valuable as a lost-cost motion analysis option, the amount of precision and the level of accuracy afforded by video-based analyses is incomparable to what is offered by more advanced motion capture technologies like the systems now found in the BMB Lab. Dr. Decoux’s current graduate students were able to start the semester with a project using the video-based movement analysis software and then complete a project with the BMB Lab’s new motion capture technology. This enabled the students to spend more time learning how to analyze and interpret the data collected with the optical motion capture systems as opposed to devoting many hours to the rather slow process of extracting data from videos.

To celebrate the new Biomechanics and Motor Behavior Lab, the Department of Kinesiology and Health Studies is hosting a Grand Opening event at the lab (KHS Building, Room 150) on Wednesday, April 24, with a ribbon cutting ceremony taking place at 11:00 am.  Dr. Decoux will be present before and after the ribbon cutting ceremony to speak to anyone with questions about the lab. Posters of students’ projects from Dr. Decoux’s graduate biomechanics class will be on display in the lab for visitors to see.

Southeastern’s Sims Memorial Library and the Friends of Sims Library will host the annual Friends of Sims Library Marjorie Morrison Memorial Members’ Tea on Saturday, April 20, at 2 p.m. Guests will enjoy a variety of teas and a selection of sandwiches and pastries. Bottomless mimosas will be available as well for $10.

Local playwright Donna Gay Anderson is the featured speaker, and the doors will open at 1:45 p.m.

Sims Memorial Library Director David Sesser said that Anderson’s newest play, The Way We Say Goodbye, premiered at Southeastern in November 2022 and has since been produced elsewhere. Her other works include High and Mighty, Unfolded, and Dead Reckoning. Her work has been included in The Louisville Review,  Arkansas Review, and Dramatist’s Magazine.

Anderson is currently working on a new musical about the state of homelessness in America. She holds degrees from Southeastern, The National Shakespeare Conservatory, and Spalding University.

“The tea is free to Friends of Sims Library members. Those who renew their membership at the associate or patron level may reserve one additional complimentary seat for a guest. Friends at the Lifetime level may reserve a complimentary table for four,” Sesser said. “The cost for non-members is $35, which includes admission to the tea and an individual membership for 2024.”

Checks should be made payable to the Southeastern Foundation and mailed to Friends of Sims Library, SLU 10896, Hammond, LA 70402. If paying by check, download and complete the form available at southeastern.edu/library/about/friends/index.html.

The completed form must be mailed with payment. Payments can also be made securely online at southeastern.edu/librarytea. The deadline for online reservations is Wednesday, April 17.

For more information about membership or the tea, email Friends.Sims@southeastern.edu, or call 985-549-2186.

Southeastern’s spring semester has shown growth in nearly all student categories. 

The university realized solid increases in enrollment across both undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduate enrollment rose by two percent, while graduate enrollment experienced an increase of 14 percent. 

With an overall enrollment increase of three percent at 13,800 students, an enrollment number for spring not realized since before the pandemic, Southeastern experienced growth in several categories. New or incoming student increases included first-time freshmen at 14 percent, transfer students at 21 percent, graduate students at 17.3, and dual enrollment students with an increase of 6.5 percent. Southeastern also experienced a 22 percent increase in international students.

“Southeastern has been working diligently to strengthen purposeful enrollment with a strategic focus on mission and core values centered on student success,” said Southeastern President William S. Wainwright. “Seeing growth in multiple categories is a testament to a commitment of the students, faculty, and staff to a progressive Enrollment Management Plan, positioning our university for continued growth and most importantly, student success.”

Southeastern currently offers over 150 programs of study, including many that are regionally and nationally ranked. To apply, visit southeastern.edu.

Ever since Jonetta Kaiser was a small child, she knew she wanted to be a professional actress. But in addition to this resolute determination, she embodied something else that would help reach this goal and much more: a diversity of interests and an unstoppable entrepreneurial spirit.

BY SHERI GIBSON

By the time she was 13, Jonetta Kaiser was designing Myspace pages for clients, creating websites, and earning money through Google AdSense. While this alone could be considered a major accomplishment for someone so young, and was indeed an indication of the entrepreneurial drive that would remain a part of her life, for Jonetta it was also a way to help her reach her ultimate goal. She invested the small income she received in photo paper for printing and mailing headshots, taken by her sister in her grandma’s backyard, in hopes of landing roles as an actress.

After seeing the movie Salt starring Angelina Jolie, she knew for sure she had found her path.

“That’s when it kind of clicked: I could actually do this,” Jonetta said. “So, when I graduated high school, I did. I took a gap year and did extra work on sets in New Orleans. I did American Horror Story, the “Coven” season. I did a Miley Cyrus movie called So Under Cover, a Will Smith movie called Focus, and a CW TV show about aliens.”

Knowing how important STEM-related skills could benefit her throughout life, though, at the end of the gap year Jonetta, a Hammond native, enrolled at Southeastern to major in biochemistry and minor in computer science.

“I knew I needed to go to college; that was the way to do this,” she explained. “I knew I wanted to learn something in STEM, because that’s where jobs are going. That’s where the world is heading. Technology, and for example AI, is increasing at such a level that if you’re not paying attention, then you should be. I always knew that that’s where things would be 20 years from now. So, I decided that I’m going to study this, and then somewhere along the line I’ll figure out how to pivot. And I did. I really did.”

While gaining science skills is important in its own right, at first glance this field can seem quite disparate from acting. But to Jonetta, there are actually a lot of similarities, with both science and acting alike in process.

“I genuinely just love the process of figuring things out. I like challenges,” she said. “It’s the same reason I love acting so much, too, because it’s looking at something and figuring out the problem and solution. How can I get an end result? With coding, it’s starting a project and talking to a client and identifying how we can get from point A to point B. It’s the same thing with acting—you look at a script, you have a character, and then you have to figure out how can I get to the end of the script and create a journey for this part.”

Jonetta enjoyed her time at Southeastern, where she studied with her two best friends from childhood—who are great friends to this day. And while most of her time in college was spent hustling between two jobs, one at PJ’s Coffee and one at La Carreta, and being a fulltime biochemistry student, she noted that when she did have time to go to games and other events “it was always such fun. The school spirit at Southeastern was great.”

Jonetta also loved the quality of instruction at Southeastern, noting how the University had “the best teachers” and giving an anecdote about the calculus class she took. “My calculus teacher didn’t rely on calculators, and the way he explained calculus was next level; I still have those memories with me forever. And I grew to love calculus—which no one loves calculus. But it was because I really understood the why behind the course.”

After three years of acquiring a solid base of science and technology skills, in 2018 Jonetta suddenly woke up one day with an instinctual pull that it was time for her to make her pivot back to acting. With new professional headshots in hand, she boldly made the trip by herself to California in chase of her dream.

Because of how expensive Los Angeles is, she first lived on military base Camp Pendleton in Oceanside while commuting three hours to the city for acting classes and auditions. But she was soon able to start landing parts, and after only six months, she made the move to Los Angeles.

While she was able to start seeing her goals as an actress come true, Jonetta discussed how she couldn’t have done it without the technology skills she had earned as a student—with almost all working actors and actresses needing other revenue streams as they get started or to keep busy between jobs.

“Los Angeles is so expensive, and you really need to figure out how you’re going to get by,” she said. “The reality is that actors can make a lot of money, but if you have no other skills and you just come out [to Los Angeles] and want to be an actor, you’re going to have a tough time. You have to figure out how you’re going to make money and acquire some skills until you become the next Angelina Jolie.

“I’ve been fortunate to consistently work since I moved out here in 2018. I started working right away as an actress, but most of the time as an actor, you’re unemployed. So, it’s been incredibly helpful—the skills that I acquired when I went to Southeastern, to learn how to create websites because I took computer science classes as a biochemistry major.

“I’m so grateful for that time. Honestly, I wouldn’t have known what to do otherwise.”

While parts started rolling in remarkably quickly for Jonetta, her favorite one so far has been Sonya Sharp in the Peacock series Vampire Academy, based on the best-selling book series. Not only did Jonetta identify greatly with the character as a fellow bookworm, but the series was also both one of her favorites as a child and her gateway into the genre. “The reason I loved Twilight and The Vampire Diaries was because of Vampire Academy books,” she said.

Learning that she would get to play Sonya was a surreal realization for Jonetta—and the start of an amazing new experience. With the series filming in Spain for seven months in 2022, she was able to learn Spanish, a useful skill which she is grateful to now have for wherever she may go in the future—and more travel is a definite on her list. She was able to do greenscreen work and be on wires, which she loved. Since her character can communicate with birds, she was also excited to get to feed and interact with trained crows.

And as with all her roles, it was the work and process of finding the character that also really spoke to her. “The prep work is my favorite because that’s where you do the work. You’re finding the character and then it comes alive when they call ‘action,’” she said.

Since Vampire Academy, Jonetta also starred in the movie A Party to Die For before the SAG-AFTRA strike. And with this development, having other skills has become even more essential than ever for actors.

“Right now we’re seeing that if you have no skills, what are you going to do?”, Jonetta commented. “Hollywood is completely shut down right now. No one is working. If you’re not an A-list star to have made millions of dollars to support your home, you have to figure out how you’re going to survive. You have to have a skill. And going to school and learning how to survive in the real world first is probably your best bet.”

During this acting downtime, Jonetta has indeed kept busy with not only hobbies but also other work. In addition to some of her favorite activities, such as reading, making jewelry, and taking Pilates classes, she’s been working on a couple of AI-based startups with her boyfriend and also building websites for clients, doing coding. While she has been lucky enough to have worked on a popular show that helps pay the bills, it hasn’t put any damper on her drive to continue to achieve more.

And while her acting prospects are indeed bright, her potential for success in other fields is also limitless. Her positive attitude, down-to-earth and friendly personality, and energetic dedication to work, coupled with her belief in education, also serve to enhance this.

“I always knew if I were to pursue acting that the skills I acquired while I was at Southeastern, learning coding and other things, would come in handy and would be essential for me to know,” she said.

In the darkest of times, one member of the Southeastern community was able to create a new light through giving to others.

BY TONYA LOWENTRITT

For Southeastern alumna Jeanne Brooks, the spring and summer of 2014 forever changed her life. In May she lost her husband of 30 years after two major heart attacks. Just nine weeks later, her son Jordan was tragically killed in an ATV accident on the job as an interpretative ranger at Bogue Chitto State Park in Franklinton.

In 2014, Brooks had been working at Southeastern as the Library of Congress Coordinator and continued in that role for one more year.

“I was a mother and wife for 30 years, and overnight I wasn’t either one. Though she lived just a few doors from me, I was the primary caregiver of my mother, now in her 90s,” Brooks recalled. “I knew I couldn’t continue. I did all the things grief counselors say not to do. I quit my job, put my home on the market, and connected with a tour group as a counselor for students touring the United Kingdom.”

Brooks had worked at Southeastern as a “retired rehire,” having retired from both Louisiana and Mississippi schools. She worked with literally hundreds of people rebuilding schools, libraries, communities, and lives after Hurricane Katrina. This time, however, it was time to rebuild herself. Upon her return from the UK, Brooks contacted Southeastern because she felt she belonged there.

“I knew I needed to work with students, and I needed to make a difference in the lives of others,” she said. “The timing was perfect. An opening in the College of Education, Department of Teaching and Learning had become available just the day before my call. This time though, it was not with the Library of Congress program; it was as a full-time faculty member. I was exactly where I belonged!”

After a long and rewarding career, Brooks retired once again after having been a teacher for decades, reaching thousands of students. “Retirement” though did not mean sitting in a rocking chair and knitting—not for Brooks. With no children or grandchildren, she chose to establish the Jordan Brooks Smith Endowed Scholarship to give back to those who had given her so much. Established in honor of Jordan, himself a Southeastern graduate, the scholarship will go to a student who has been admitted to Southeastern and is majoring in one of the teacher preparation programs in the College of Education.

“Education enriched my life and Jordan’s life. Even on my darkest days, it was the medical staff at University Hospital who became my family. And yes, many of those were Southeastern graduates,” Brooks recalled. “I have
a deep love for Southeastern. Across campus, across departments, Southeastern gave me so much. It is only fitting that I give back.”

After the establishment of the endowment in memory of her son, Brooks still felt like she needed to do more. She began to ask herself what she could give as a visual reminder of Jordan and what his legacy entailed.

“We were both ‘teachers,’ but in different ways, so there must be something to continue to teach generations of children,” she thought.

Therefore, after nine years of talking, researching, volunteering, fundraising, and mountains of paperwork, the Interpretative Ranger Jordan Brooks Smith Kids Trail in Bogue Chitto State Park was born. The trail is an accessible children’s trail complete with animal sculptures created for inquisitive children’s minds. Its purpose, Brooks said, is to connect children and families to nature through environmental education and hands-on experiences with native flora and fauna. One of the animal sculptures, the fox, a central part of Jordan’s legacy, includes Brooks’ handprints and those of Jordan as a child.

“Southeastern has etched its handprint on my heart,” Jeanne said. “With the Jordan Brooks Smith Endowed Scholarship at Southeastern and the Interpretative Ranger Jordan Brooks Smith Kids’s Trail at Bogue Chitto State Park, Jordan and I have etched our handprints for generations to come.” 

Southeastern’s Department of Computer Science is now offering a master of science degree in computer networking and administration. Delivered exclusively online, the program is designed to address the widening skills shortage in enterprise-scale networking, including cybersecurity and system administration, and follows best practices needed for the workforce.

Computer Science Interim Department Head and Instructor Bonnie Achee said the degree prepares students for positions such as computer network administrator, network specialist, network design engineer, system software developer, and system administrator.

“We are proud to offer a 100% online master of science in computer and networking administration,” said Achee. “This cutting-edge program will serve both recent graduates and industry professionals who seek to advance or transition to a career in systems administration, high-performance computing, and systems security, to name a few.”

Coursework is offered every fall, spring, and summer, ensuring students can graduate in a timely manner, Achee explained. Hands-on labs are also provided through online services, giving students 24/7 access to state-of-the-art computer networking and administration labs.

For more information, email mcna@southeastern.edu or visit southeastern.edu/mscna.

Southeastern deployed four buoys this week for the independent, scientific monitoring of the Lake Maurepas ecosystem as part of its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Federal Government and with Air Products’ work on its Louisiana Clean Energy Complex.

“These buoys will provide data that the public can trust about the Lake Maurepas ecosystem since that data is coming directly from the lake itself. Independent monitoring of the lake is critically important to the community and all those people who live and work there,” said Louisiana Clean Energy Complex Commercial Executive Director Danna LeBlanc. “We know Southeastern researchers are the leading experts on Lake Maurepas, and the Air Products team is proud that they are able to expand their independent biomonitoring research by using these buoys.”

Southeastern will gather baseline data within the aquatic and wetland realms prior to the initiation of any future carbon sequestration projects in Lake Maurepas. An essential component of the project will be extensive environmental monitoring of the Lake Maurepas region, so that any impacts of the project can be understood and data be made publicly available.

“This demonstrates the value of our university to the region and nation as leaders in environmental monitoring,” said Southeastern’s President William Wainwright. “As carbon capture projects become more frequent, through Southeastern’s leadership in research, it can demonstrate the environmental scientific needs surrounding those activities.”

Specifically, the scientists from Southeastern will be monitoring the marine life populations (fishes, crabs, shrimp), as well as the plant life in the surrounding wetlands, and also watching and studying any variations in water quality.

Called the Blind, Amite, Tickfaw, and Maurepas buoys, the YSI Bay Buoys were named based on their geographic positions in the lake.

“The buoys will gather a variety of parameters in real time with data regularly uploaded to the cloud,” said Director of the Lake Maurepas Monitoring Program Kyle Piller. “The data will be posted on our project website through the use of easy to interpret dashboards for each buoy. Each measured parameter has a ‘normal’ range, and the software has the ability to send alert messages if a particular measured parameter is out of the normal range. In essence the buoys will be functioning as an early warning system.”

The buoys are outfitted with sensors to monitor water parameters, including dissolved oxygen, pH, water temperature, and carbon dioxide, Piller explained. One buoy will be outfitted with a weather station to measure atmospheric parameters, including wind speed, air temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, and precipitation.

“Southeastern will be monitoring all facets of this project involving the lake to ensure up-to-date data and information are available. We are making all the data we record available to the public to ensure everyone’s right to know any findings,” said Dan McCarthy, dean of the College of Science and Technology.

The website to access project data is southeastern.edu/lakemaurepas.