Champions Like No Other
Inspired by our motto — not for oneself but for one’s own — Tulane’s faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors and friends, all Tulanians, are called to advance our distinguished tradition and relentlessly pursue a better tomorrow.
Cotton Bowl Champs
It was one of those “where were you when” kind of days. Green Wave fans will forever remember their exact location when the 16th-ranked Tulane football team pulled off a stunning victory over 10th-ranked University of Southern California in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas. With just nine seconds remaining — and the Trojans’ Heisman QB Caleb Williams watching from the sidelines — the Wave scored the winning touchdown (and extra point) to top USC 46-45 and cap off its most magical season ever.
A Thrilling Turn for Baseball
When the Tulane baseball team ended its regular season with a 15-39 record, players and staff had already begun looking toward 2024. But a funny — and thrilling — thing happened on the way to the off-season: The Wave won the American Athletic Conference Tournament, giving it an automatic berth in the NCAA regionals.
Stockton Top Coach in Louisiana
While every victory is special for Tulane women’s basketball coach Lisa Stockton, the Wave’s win over Cincinnati on Feb. 18 meant just a bit more. It made her the all-time winningest women’s college basketball coach in Louisiana, adding to an already impressive resume that includes 21 postseason appearances, four regular season conference titles and five conference tournament titles. With her 577th victory at Tulane, Stockton surpassed the legendary Leon Barmore, former coach at Louisiana Tech.
The Stuff of Champions
In quintessential Tulane fashion, the Class of 2023’s Unified Commencement Ceremony was full of smiles, songs, special guests and a few surprises. Graduates were inspired by keynote speaker Leslie Odom, Jr., student speakers Da’Sean Spencer and Arianne D. Sacramento, and President Michael A. Fitts, who donned a coach’s visor and whistle to share his playbook for success. Fitts presented Odom with the President’s Medal, and Jazz Fest producer Quint Davis and AI pioneer Rosalind Picard were awarded honorary doctoral degrees.
Recognizing Excellence in Teaching
While the research contributions of Tulane’s faculty are made visible through publications, grants and breakthroughs, their teaching and mentoring are quietly making an impact on the next generation of scholars and leaders. The Suzanne and Stephen Weiss Presidential Fellows Awards for excellence in undergraduate teaching were bestowed this year on professors D. Jelagat Cheruiyot, PhD, of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Allison Emmerson, PhD, of the Department of Classical Studies. The President’s Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Teaching went to professors Katherine Andrinopoulos, PhD, of the Departmental of International Health and Sustainable Development and Kris Lane, PhD, of the Department of History.
