The Committee on Campus Recognition is a sub-committee of the President’s Commission on Race and Tulane Values. This sub-committee has engaged the university community to identify and recommend a diverse group of individuals for special recognition in various ways on our campuses.
Campus Recognition
Starting with nominations received from the Tulane community, the committee recommended Tulanians from a wide array of backgrounds who have had a substantial and lasting impact on the university, and who deserve recognition on our campuses.
This fall, we will kick off recognition ceremonies, open to the entire campus, to honor the courage and perseverance of these trailblazers and ensure that their contributions and legacy live on at Tulane. The selection and recognition process will continue through the coming academic year, and beyond. Working collaboratively with schools and departments, the Office of the President will help identify key naming opportunities and help to coordinate planning for upcoming events — dates and locations will be announced soon and promoted widely in early fall.
The following honorees were announced on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 — read more in Tulane Today.
Carolyn Barber-Pierre
A beloved figure in the Tulane community, Carolyn Barber-Pierre currently serves as the assistant vice president for Multicultural Affairs. She has responsibility for the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Office of Gender and Sexual Diversity. An employee at Tulane for nearly 35 years, she is the founder and leader of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, affectionately referred to as “the O.” Barber-Pierre has masterfully created a space that serves as the hub of diverse cultural, social and intellectual life at Tulane. The O recently celebrated its 30th anniversary.
Reynold T. Décou, Sr. (A&S ’67, A&S ’79)
Reynold T. Décou, Sr., a native of New Orleans, was the first African-American to enroll at Tulane as a full-time undergraduate student in 1963. Décou is a two-time graduate from Tulane’s School of Arts & Sciences, earning his Bachelor of Science degree in 1967, as well as a bachelor’s degree in Earth sciences in 1979. Décou is a petroleum geologist whose successful career has spanned more than 40 years. He has held positions at the Louisiana Land & Exploration Co., Schlumberger, El Paso Oil & Gas, Coastal Oil & Gas, and Erskine Energy.
Deidre Dumas Labat (NC ’66, G ’69)
In 1966, Deidre Dumas Labat became the first African-American undergraduate to transfer into and graduate from Newcomb College. In addition to earning her Bachelor of Science in biology, she also earned a Master of Science degree in biology in 1969. Labat has had a distinguished career in academia at Xavier University of Louisiana.
Luis Guillermo Solís (G ’81)
Luis Guillermo Solís served as president of Costa Rica from 2014-2018. During the 2014 presidential election cycle, Solís earned more votes than any presidential candidate in the history of the nation. During his tenure in office, he was a champion of environmental protections, the reduction of income inequality, and economic growth. Solís also has held various academic and consulting positions. In the 1980s, he served as an associate professor at the University of Costa Rica. He earned a master’s degree in Latin American studies from Tulane.
Bobby Yan (TC ’95)
Bobby Yan is a veteran of the television and music video industry, having directed more than 100 music videos and commercials, and produced several sports-related shows that garnered six Sports Emmy Awards. His recent short film, Marz, appeared in over 50 festivals worldwide. Yan also was selected as one of the directors in the ABC Disney Directing Program, a two-year professional directing program that recruits experienced directors on the cusp of making the transition into episodic directing. Yan received his Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Tulane in 1995. He founded Tulane’s Asian American Student Union.
Engagement
Throughout this process, broad engagement and participation from the Tulane community was important to ensure a wide range of Tulanians were identified for consideration. The committee provided a variety of opportunities to faculty, staff and students to create thoughtful and meaningful collaboration in this effort.
All members of the Tulane community were encouraged to submit nominations for consideration by the sub-committee. Nominations are now closed. However, the university is always seeking to identify additional individuals for recognition. Please send your ideas for recognition opportunities to the President's Office at mike@tulane.edu.
Thank you for your help in ensuring that Tulane recognizes a multicultural, global and inclusive community and honors their commitment to build, sustain and change Tulane for the better.
Committee Members
Laura Rosanne Adderley, Associate Professor of History & Co-Chair
Carolyn Barber-Pierre, Assistant VP for Multicultural Affairs
Leslie Bayonne, Operations Manager, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Kim Boyle, Vice-Chair, Board of Administrators
Angel Carter, Undergraduate Student
Satyajit Dattagupta, VP for Enrollment Management and Dean of Admission & Co-Chair
William Dickson, Medical Student
Will Ferbos, Assistant VP and Deputy Chief of Staff
Ana Maria Lopez, Graduate Student
Marilyn Miller, Associate Professor, Spanish & Portuguese
Latha Rajan, Clinical Associate Professor, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
John Suarez, Tulane Alumni
