Beyond 1894

In this episode, Louisiana Tech alumna Lana Cannatella discusses her career as a biomedical flight controller at NASA. She emphasizes the importance of building professional connections and applying academic projects to real-world space exploration challenges. Cannatella details her transition from biomedical engineering to operations and project management, which eventually led to her role suppor...

Almira Bradford Winans, a 2016 Louisiana Tech graduate, discusses her journey from being adopted from Kazakhstan to becoming a successful artist and educator. Originally an engineering student, she transitioned to graphic design to find more creative fulfillment. Winans highlights how her foundational experiences at Tech, including the VISTA program, shaped her professional path. She emphasizes th...

Khalilah Kersey is a people person. As the international student and immigration adviser in Louisiana Tech's Office of International Affairs, she has made a career out of connecting with the University's international student population and helping them navigate their college experience. She discusses growing up in small-town Louisiana, developing the interests that led her to pursue graphic desig...

In his work as a graphic designer at Louisiana Tech, Adam Cook has influenced the visual identity of the University's brand and the aesthetic of the campus. He cut his teeth as a student worker, steadily receiving projects with more and more heft, and he now is a full time member of University Communications responsible for several large hand-designed murals on campus. In this episode, he discusse...

Kyle O'Neal, Director of the Humana Student Services Center at Louisiana Tech University, discusses the center's role in supporting College of Business students, offering tailored career and professional development and working in partnership with the Career Center. O'Neal emphasizes the importance of building professional networks and shares how much of his career was spent honing his skills with...

Dr. Matthew Thornton, director of the School of Human Ecology and interim department head of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences at Louisiana Tech, discusses his new role and the school's unique programs in human development and family science and fashion merchandising and retail studies. He highlights the new applied behavioral analysis undergraduate certificate, designed to address the growing ne...

Fresh off a full summer serving as Orientation Student Leaders, Louisiana Tech juniors Sarah Freeman and Tason Lawrence love the University more than ever. They share their reasons for choosing Tech for college, their reasons for signing up for the tall task of being OSLs, and their reasons for feeling like the campus community is a perfect place to call home. LA Tech FYE on Instagram: instagram.c...

Justin Kavalir is Louisiana Tech University's associate VP and general counsel, a guiding and protective hand when it comes to institutional litigation. In this episode, he discusses his beginnings in the realm of accounting before deciding to take on law school, his easy choice to make a professional return to Tech, and the complex nature of his day-to-day. He highlights some of the standout case...

Dr. David Szymanski, department chair and professor of Kinesiology at Louisiana Tech, charts the path that began in Chicago as a fine arts major, pivoted, and then took him through the ranks of collegiate baseball coaching. He highlights his transition from a professional baseball hopeful to a "professional professor," his pioneering research in baseball sport performance, and his role in expandin...

Dr. Leland Weiss, the new-ish dean of the Graduate School and longtime Louisiana Tech engineering professor, discusses his journey that began in Canada, carried him all over the U.S., and eventually landed him at Tech. He highlights his transition from industry to academia, his research focus on waste heat recovery, and his role in supporting graduate programs across the University. He shares his...

Director of Alumni Engagement Leslie Brister Carpenter is proud to have a Louisiana Tech heart. Born and raised in Ruston, she's made a career out of serving the campus and the community and letting her love for the University radiate through all she does. From her time as a student recruiter in college to jobs working with admissions and LA Tech Football, she's worked hard to personify the phrase...

Jamar Anderson, assistant director of internal affairs in Louisiana Tech's Bulldog Success Center, has made a home for himself at the University. From his time as a student taking on leadership positions and finding early work on campus in the office that would later give him a full time job, he's put Tech students first. He talks about his time at Tech and highlights the effectiveness of the Bull...

Dr. Mortissa Harvey, director of Title IX compliance at Louisiana Tech University, discusses her role in ensuring the institution adheres to Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in education. She emphasizes the importance of building trust and relationships to make the Title IX office a resource rather than a punitive body. She shares her background, including her education at Spelman Coll...

Sometimes, two Louisiana Tech stories intertwine. Dr. Wyatt Olson and Madison Kaufman have come from very different hometowns and have had very different journeys that have led them to the University, but the crossing of their paths was fate. As the two of them eye their fast-approaching wedding date, they take time to reflect on their careers, their affinity for Louisiana Tech, and the many thing...

Caroline Milford splits her time at Louisiana Tech between the Lambright Sports & Wellness Center and the university's Regal Blues Dance Team. She knows firsthand what it takes to create a good team culture, and she dives in to the essence of that culture as she charts her journey from a Regal Blues dancer at Tech to head coach of the squad. She talks about being drawn to Louisiana Tech and wh...

This April 1, 2026 episode brings Louisiana Tech's beloved mascot, Tech XXII, to the guest table. This exclusive, in-depth interview with the loyal and friendly four-legged family member covers everything from his puppy beginnings at the University to his love for fast cars and slow days. Did we mention it's April 1st? Tech XXII on Instagram: instagram.com/techxxii Website:  1894.latech.edu/b...

Dr. Wes Flinn has not been a part of the Louisiana Tech faculty for a full year yet, but he's already integrated himself into the School of Music as its new director, and he knows he leads world-class instructors who shape the minds of future musicians. In this episode, he talks about growing up on a hog farm in southern Indiana and finding his love for music and teaching. He discusses his vision...

Computer Science major and LA Tech feature twirler Tess Gardner has made a college career out of keeping busy. Between her academic and extracurricular commitments, she's discovered a passion for pushing herself and maximizing her potential. In this episode, she shares stories about finding her way to Tech and carving her own path to becoming a feature twirler despite her late start. She talks abo...

Louisiana Tech 2017 graduate Kevin Richardson has made a name for himself in college athletics. From choosing his major at Tech on a whim to working hard and earning a role in the University's athletics department, Richardson charts his journey in sports and the mindset that has carried him this far. He talks about stops at Rice, Texas, and, his current home, Clemson and what he's learned along th...

When Audrey Calhoun graduated from Louisiana Tech in 1973, she became the first Black woman in the country to earn a forestry degree. It was just the start of her one-of-a-kind career in the field. She's worked all over the country, protecting and preserving nature and the history connected to it. She's been a part of operations at the White House. She led evacuation efforts from the Pentagon dayc...

2025's Miss Louisiana Tech University, Hannah Brotherton, is getting ready to crown the next Miss Tech in late January, so she's got a lot to reflect on from her past year of service with the crown. She discusses her "switch flip" moment discovering a knack for coding, how her confidence has grown over her 20 years of pageant competition, and the people and causes that she holds dear in her person...

Louisiana Tech's Director of Broadcasting Kyle Schassburger might be new to the Tech Family, but he's already proven his loyalty to the red and blue by lending his commentary talents to Bulldog sports and buying in to their mission of excellence. In this episode, he talks about growing up listening to some of the broadcasting greats, finding his passion for making big calls, and why Ruston and Lou...

Louisiana Tech's University Communications crew sits down for the annual recap episode to talk through the biggest headlines and highlights of 2025. From a revamped university website to the revival of 1894 Magazine, and from a groundbreaking partnership with Radiance Technologies to a shift to the Sun Belt Conference for LA Tech Athletics, the best stories of the year are here on Beyond 1894. Mor...

Lt. Col Justin Reynold's callsign is "Ragin'." That callsign has followed him here to Louisiana Tech, his alma mater, where he now serves as the Commander of Detachment 305 and a professor of aerospace studies. In this episode, he discusses his foray into the U.S. Air Force and the journey that's taken him from station to station all over the country and beyond. He speaks on the history and presti...

Louisiana Tech's Boris Teske's reputation precedes him: "There's that librarian that's always so hype at the basketball games." Listen to Teske give his firsthand account of finding a love for college athletics and an uncanny knack for often being the loudest, proudest, and rowdiest presence at the Bulldogs' and Lady Techsters' contests year in and year out. He details moving often in his early ca...