Decades of Dedication: Honoring Employees who have Shaped Generations

60-Year Honoree

James Hardy has been a member of LSU’s history department for six decades. He developed the Odgen's Honors College Western Civilization curriculum, served as associate dean in the Honors College, published 11 books, won multiple teaching awards, and values both scholarship and teaching. He was also named the first Sternberg Professor, a fitting recognition of his impact on the college and its students. Professor Hardy earned four teaching awards over two decades. Out of all of his achievements he has earned at LSU, he is most proud to have met his wife of 50 years, Claudia. After achieving his 60 year milestone, Hardy retired from LSU but his intellectual engagement has continued beyond retirement as a fellow of the Mackinder Forum U.S.A. 

50-Year Honoree 

Physics and Astronomy Professor Jerry Draayer witnessed LSU evolve across generations of students and faculty.

Draayer joined LSU in 1975. Over the course of his career, he has published 500+ articles and mentored 20 PhD students. His research has deepened our understanding of how symmetries reveal the complex behavior of the natural world, and his scholarly impact is reflected in more than 500 published articles, including more than 100 written since a 2012 conference honoring his scientific contributions. He served as chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy for nine years during a pivotal era, where the Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices (CAMD) went from a concept to an operating facility. 

45-Year Honorees 

Michael Burnett

Michael Burnett, College of Agriculture professor made an impact in guiding and mentoring hundreds of graduate students. He served as director of the former School of Vocational Education, later known as the School of Leadership and Human Resource Development, and later became executive associate dean in the College of Agriculture and head of the Department of Agricultural and Extension Education and Evaluation.  

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Charles Delzell

In the Department of Mathematics, Charles Delzell has served as associate chair for Instruction since 2003, where he oversees course scheduling, advising coordination, classroom logistics, teaching assistant assignments, and instructor scheduling for thousands of students each semester. Along with his administrative work, Delzell helped organize a long-running international conference series at LSU, bringing students from around the world to campus.  

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Glenn Sumners 

Creating the university’s first internal audit program only five years after arriving at LSU, Glenn Sumners, professor of the Department of Accounting, helped establish LSU as a leader in cybersecurity risk management education. Under his leadership, students and staff connected to the program have earned 32 international awards, and his influence on the profession became so significant that an international exam honor was later named the “Glenn E. Sumners Award.” Sumners said some of his favorite memories at LSU are early morning coffee conversations with students, where he encouraged them to pursue excellence and strengthen their presentation and leadership skills. Sumners retired after his 45 years of service to LSU.

 

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George Voyiadjis

George Voyiadjis has built an internationally respected engineering career during his 45 years in LSU’s Civil & Environmental Engineering department. Throughout his career, Voyiadjis served in numerous leadership positions, including department chair, acting associate dean of the Graduate School, director of the Center for GeoInformatics, and holder of the Freeport-McMoRan Endowed Chair. He was also named a Boyd Professor, LSU’s highest academic rank. One of his most honorable contributions came after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, when he helped lead analysis efforts involving the rupture of the shuttle’s fuel tank.