LSUHSC Spring Commencement May 17, 2003 The Commencement Ceremony The audience is requested to stand during the Academic Procession, the singing of the National Anthem, the Benediction, and to remain in place until the Recessional has left the Arena. The Academic Procession Chief Marshal..............................................................William P. Newman, III, M.D. Professor of Pathology Music...................................................Caledonian Pipes and Drums of Baton Rouge Bearer of the Mace.........................................Joseph M. Moerschbaecher, III, Ph.D. Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Dean of the School of Graduate Studies Procession of the Platform Party Faculty Marshal............................................................................James Cairo, Ph.D. Professor of Cardiopulmonary Science Procession of the Faculty Student Procession Student Marshal....................................................................Michael Levitzky, Ph.D. Professor of Physiology Director of Basic Science Curriculum, School of Medicine Procession of the Candidates in Allied Health Professions Gonfalonier........................................................................Marie Thuy-Linh Nguyen Bachelor of Science in Ophthalmic Medical Technology Candidate Procession of the Candidates in Nursing Gonfalonier.....................................................................................Dawn Renee Pevey Bachelor of Nursing Candidate, Class President Procession of the Candidates in Dentistry Gonfalonier....................................................................................Alex Gardner Wade D.D.S. Candidate, Student Government Association President Procession of the Candidates in Graduate Studies Gonfalonier............................................................................................Joeli Brinkman Ph.D. Candidate in Microbiology Procession of the Candidates in Medicine Gonfalonier.........................................................................Christopher Charles Kyle M.D. Candidate, Senior Class President Presentation of the Mace Opening Proclamation....................................Joseph M. Moerschbaecher, III, Ph.D. Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Dean of the School of Graduate Studies Our National Anthem...................................................................Prashant Krishnan Graduating Class, School of Medicine Invocation.............................................................................................Patrick Dennis Graduating Class, School of Medicine Welcome and Opening Remarks................................................John A. Rock, M.D. Chancellor Commencement Address..........................................................Marilyn Zimny, Ph.D. Professor Emerita of Anatomy Presentation of the 2003 Allen A. Copping Excellence in Teaching Awards Conferring of Degrees.............................................................................Perry Segura Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors Greetings.....................................................................................Jack Andonie, M.D. Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors Greetings.......................................................William L. Jenkins, M.Med.Vet., Ph.D. President, Louisiana State University System Benediction.......................................................................F. Joseph Ferrara, II, D.D.S. Graduating Class, School of Dentistry God Bless America........................................................Sharone Marie Jacobs, M.D. Graduating Class, School of Medicine The Recessional Our National Anthem O say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming Whose broad stripes and bright stars Through the perilous fight O'er the ramparts we watched Were so gallantly streaming And the rocket's red glare The bombs bursting in air Gave proof through the night That our flag was still there O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave Francis Scott Key The following list of graduates represents the most accurate information available at press time. The appearance of a name on this program is presumptive of graduation but not conclusive. Professional photographers will record each graduate as the diploma is presented and color portraits will be available for purchase, if desired. This program was designed by Gina LaBorde and Printed by LSUHSC Duplicating and Printing Graphic Solutions 504.568.3311 Page 3 Candidates for Degrees School of Allied Health Professions Presented by John R. Snyder, Ph.D., Dean Bachelor of Science in Ophthalmic Medical Technology Starsha Nichole Chautin Marie Thuy-Linh Nguyen Nhuan Thi Nguyen Casey W. Ray Master of Communication Disorders Jennifer Michelle Acosta Speech Pathology Jackie Aucoin Brunet Audiology Ann-Marie Chiasson Speech Pathology Kristin Cherie Cole Speech Pathology Shannon Marie Duhe Speech Pathology Christon Jeffrey Duhon Audiology Elizabeth Lastrapes Kitchen Speech Pathology Cheryl Marie LeBoeuf Speech Pathology Veronica Marie Major Audiology Ashley Ann Musso Audiology Ashley Renee Pontif Speech Pathology Joy Elizabeth Reagan Speech Pathology Amanda Christine Rood Speech Pathology Melissa Anne Salzer Audiology Colleen Ann Scheyd Speech Pathology Gretchen Anne Smith Speech Pathology Jill Marie Zimmermann Audiology Master of Health Sciences Tara Toepfer Bordelon Rehabilitation Counseling Emily Tinn-Yun Cheng Rehabilitation Counseling Erin L. Glover* Rehabilitation Counseling Danielle R. Guidry Rehabilitation Counseling Jennifer Ramsey Hess* Physical Therapy Stephen C. Kessler Rehabilitation Counseling Theresa D. Lutyhe Rehabilitation Counseling Stacie Armand Nunez Rehabilitation Counseling Margo Pauline Vadnais Rehabilitation Counseling Vera L. Warriner Rehabilitation Counseling Jennie Rebecca Wolfson Rehabilitation Counseling * In Absentia Page 4 Candidates for Degrees School of Nursing Presented by Elizabeth A. Humphrey, R.N., Ed.D., Dean Bachelor of Science in Nursing Erika Lynn Adams Benjamin Ovitt Linthicum Erin Lynn Ancar Kimberly Marie Lueth Monique Louise Bellanger Michelle B. Mangipano Elizabeth Thibodeaux Buras Christopher Lee McGee Tamara Lynn Burns Michelle Sabrier Menard Alicia Marie Callais Melissa Ann Merle Kimberly Shea Campbell Erin Nicole Mix Kristine Marie Culotta Elizabeth A. Nelson, RN* Lauren Elizabeth DeFraites Linda Cheree Owens Jamie Grace Etta Dixon Genevieve Noelle Parker Virginia Lucile Eckert Lindsay Marie Passafume Jennifer Leigh Fairly Dawn Renee Pevey Stacey Anne Federico Angela Marie Pizzo Jada A. Foley Dionne Christine Ricard Jessica Michelle Fontenot Earl Joseph Robin, Jr. Joanne F. Gabel Jenny Marie Robin Heidi Marie Gagnard Christina Vasana Ross Alisha Ford Giroir Tamara Lynne Roussell Michelle Diane Henry Eileen Ruffin Robyn Theresa Hernandez Nicole Lama Sachitano Lindsey Warner Hill Alison C. Schexnayder, RN Abigail S. Holmes Renee A. Smith Kelly Elaine Hughes Keeva A. Souife-Duplessis, RN Natalie Jones Illg Lacey Hemard Tankersley Bethany Chimento Jennings, RN* Adrienne Anne Truxillo Lesley Callaghan Jouandot Alicia Elaine Vaughn Leah N. Kendrick Ann Marie Von Lubbe Anne E. Kreisman Karen Delaine Williams Erica Elizabeth LaGrange Raven Founds Wolfe Andrea Marie Langlinais Lindsi Ann Ziegler * In Absentia Page 5 Candidates for Degrees Master of Nursing Monica Andrews Butz Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Andrea Dimattia Cothern Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Doctor of Nursing Science Ethel Delores Smith Major Professor: Dr. Jacqueline Rhoads Dissertation Title: PTSD Symptoms of Substance Abusers Who Have Been Sexually Abused and Substance Abusers Who Have Not Been Sexually Abused: A Retrospective, Descriptive, and Comparative Study Anthelyn Smith Temple Major Professor: Dr. Jacqueline McNally Dissertation Title: The Effects of Diabetes Self-Management Education on Diabetes Self-Care, Diabetes Self-Efficacy and Psychological Adjustment to Diabetes Troy A. Trosclair Major Professor: Dr. Linda Roussel Dissertation Title: Critical Thinking: The Perspective of the Case Manager April A. Zarifian Major Professor: Dr. Patricia Lane Dissertation Title: Symptom Occurrence, Symptom Distress and Quality of Life in Renal Transplant Recipients Page 6 Candidates for Degrees School of Graduate Studies Presented by Joseph M. Moerschbaecher, III, Ph.D., Dean Master of Public Health Christopher Charles Kyle Program: Public Health and Preventive Medicine Major Professor: Dr. James Diaz Master of Science Mala Ann Britto Program: Oral Biology Major Professor: Dr. Clifton Dummett Lin Ma* Program: Biometry Major Professor: Dr. Donald Mercante Gina M. Pineda* Program: Pathology Major Professor: Dr. Douglas Scheer Tong Yang Program: Biometry Major Professor: Dr. Donald Mercante Doctor of Philosophy Joeli Brinkman Program: Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology Major Professor: Dr. Michael Hagensee Dissertation Title: The Utility of DNA Testing from Urine Specimens to Study the Natural History of HPV Infections Isaac V. Snowhite Program: Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology Major Professor: Dr. Michael Hagensee Dissertation Title: Local Immunological Predictors of HPV Infection and Cervical Dysplasia in HIV Positive and Negative Women Hong Xin Program; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Major Professor: Dr. James Gnarra Dissertation Title: Regulation of an A+U Rich RNA Binding Protein by the VHL Tumor Suppressor Peimin Zhu Program: Neuroscience Major Professor: Dr. Nicolas Bazan Platelet-Activating Factor (PAF) is a Mediator of Glutamate Receptors-Oxidative Stress Signaling in Neuronal Survival * In Absentia Page 7 Candidates for Degrees School of Dentistry Presented by Eric J. Hovland, D.D.S., Dean Associate of Science in Dental Laboratory Technology Adriana Belen Briceno Buenaver Carey Waller Gardner Ian Lucius Pittman Ann C. Schexnyder April DeCuir Taylor Ngoc Thi Vo Edward R. Whitlow Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene Tracey Marie Addison Amy Cecile Marchal Mishaux Lynn Ballard Amber Belinda Marretta Melanie Lynn Bollinger Stacey Lea Martin Brianne Leigh Breaux Marsha Marie Martinez Mallory McQueen Cavin Melinda Kay McGehee Jayci Marie Cormier Donna James Moak Claire Louise Culberson Sarah Emily Moore Heather Danielle D'Antoni Leslie Ann Morris Mora* Loren Elizabeth Dixon Kim Thi Nguyen Danielle Marie Goins Thuy Thi Nguyen Dana Michelle Green* Corey Daile Plescia Brenna Lynn Gustinis Elizabeth Traise Rich Erica Lee Hender Roslynn Ann Richard Darla Rene Henry* Kalynn Marie Rouyea* Sarah Anne Lafield Mandy Nijoka Saccaro Trang Thi Le Jennifer Anne Smith Kayla Marie LeJeune* Shannon Marie Soignier Erin Marie Lockwood Brooke Elizabeth Stoute* Erin Elizabeth Machen Jeannie Blanchard Theriot * In Absentia Page 8 Candidates for Degrees Bachelor of Science in Dental Laboratory Technology Casie H. Depta Stephen Michael Looney David V. Tran Doctor of Dental Surgery Tonya Marie Allen Frances Ellen Mancuso Jennifer Laurin Banquer Rudyard Grant McKennon David Lynn Bell, Jr. John Daniel McLaughlin Calvin Gregory Bessonet, III Keith Roshanali Merchant Astrid Ann Bratcher Edward M. Moody, III Clay Steven Chandler Jeremy Emmett Moore Paige Sigsworth Comeaux Kenneth E. Morgan Brian Douglas Connell Stephen Allen Morgan, Jr. Stan Peter Cowley, III HaiDuong Hoa Nguyen Jacob Ryan Dent Tim T. Nguyen F. Joseph Ferrara, II Neil Suresh Oza Darren L. Fisher Warren James Palmisano, III Rachel Nicole Gaddis Kerry Thomas Plaisance, Jr. Noelle Paige Gaudet Samuel Flettrich Pulitzer William Jarrod Gregg Michael Nuss Rabel Virginia Nocilla Grimball Benjamin Ross Record Augustus Alonzo Hall, III Kristie Leah Reine Martha Jane Sandel Herrington Cecil Rosco Shrewsberry, IV Darryl George Hoover Jeffrey Wayne Silmon Damon Alan Hughes Gary Kyle Slaven Chad R. Hutchison Kenneth D. St. Romain, Jr. Salmeh Jafarifar Stuart Foster Taylor Rupa Jolly Alex Gardner Wade Charles Marion Jouandot Jeffrey Michael Ward Karen Elizabeth Koehler Matthew Tracy Whitehead Lance Lege Ryan Patrick Wicker John Edward Levin Michael James Young Lekshmi Mahesh* * In Absentia Page 9 Candidates for Degrees School of Medicine Presented by J. Patrick O'Leary, M.D., Interim Dean Doctor of Medicine Rondel Paul Albarado Elizabeth Daphne Mair Edwards Erica Brown Appleberry Patrick Roan Ellender Scott William Ard Timothy James Ellender Stephanie Catherine Arnaud Dennis Joseph Eschete Jessica Lynne Babineaux Michael Edward Robert Fahr Kelly Lynn Babineaux Gregory L. Fautheree Marc Louis Baker Michael Gray Ferguson John Truitt Balart James Stuart Ferriss Larry Stephen Bankston, Jr. Erica Melissa Fisher Donn Kirk Beeson Lori Ann Fos Carl Julius Bischoff Andrew Charles Freel William Brownson Bisland, Jr. James Brewster Gardner, Jr. Darren Michael Boe Amy Stockstill Giarrusso Melissa Jean Bossetta Brad Christopher Giarrusso Timothy Charles Bowlin Penny Lynn Rogers Goodwin Jason Anthony Breaux Kellie Marie Griffin Dennis M. Britten Laura Jean Guderian Victor Buren Bush Jenifer L. Hammond Sandeep M. Chadha Lily Awatif Hanna Anila Riaz Chaudhry Alyson Irene Hardy Dean Paul Chauvin, Jr. Alison Rodriguez Heffernan Jennifer Ming-Fay Chen Thomas Edward Heffernan, IV Jessica Yeu-Ling Chia Stephanie Lynn Hennigan Rebecca Therese Conrad William D. Hill Allison Hovland Conravey Jeremy Louis Howes Kylie Marie Cormier Susan Harrett Hughey Katie O'Reilly Culotta Scott Michael Jackson Jennifer Leigh Daigle Sharone Marie Jacobs Kimberly Schneider Dalmau Clay Travis Jones Julie Guste Danna Jason Benjamin Kaplan Patrick Michael Dennis Anne-Marie Dore Kaulfers Myles Christopher Digby Barbara Linn Russell Keller Vincent Harold Dodge Prashant Vasanth Krishnan Daniel Jack Dodson Christopher Charles Kyle Emilie Elaine Donaldson Jeffrey Brian LaCour Matthew Edward Dudziak Scott Charles Lagasse William Sterling Duke Ivan E. LaMotta Donisha Adrian Dunn Dean Gerard Lauret Gregory M. Dupuis Naomi Tricot Laventhal Page 10 Candidates for Degrees Doctor of Medicine (Continued) Kimberly Dawn Law Arthur Eldridge Richert James Sidney Lawton, III Everett Gerard Robert, Jr. Derek James Lejeune Neil Cameron Romero Darrin Blane Letsinger Michael Brian Rotts Dennis Patrick Lindfors Kelly Elizabeth Ryder Michael Kuo-Tsun Liu Michael Carl Saavedra Alan Francis Lobo Louis Anthony Salvaggio Dawei Lu Geremy L. Sanders Kierstin Maria Lund Patricia Elizabeth Thomas Satterwhite Sandhya Devi Mani Christina Marie Saulny Stephen John Mannino Marideli Colon Scanlan Sean Paul Mathew Charles Edward Schlosser, III Wade Bolton May Janine Serebro Marlowe Moran Maylin Dawn Baker Sharp Ginger Sanderson Mentz Vincent Lee Shaw, Jr. Donald Frederick Meyn, Jr. Deborah Lynn Shuman Weston Peter Miller, IV Catherine Joyce Smith Charles Robert Moore Louis Oscar Smith, III Cori Ann Morrison Jonathan Harvey Soslow Granville Anthony Morse, III Katherine Lindley Spaht Lisa Guidry Morse Gitanjali Srivastava John W. Nagel, II Charles Anthony Stanich Tavares D. Nero Robert Neil Stark, Jr. Troy Michael Newman Michelle Renee Stutes Lan Thi Nguyen Julie Marie Talavera Quan Bao Nguyen Lori Stephanie Taylor Vinh Nguyen John Collins Texada Thomas Joseph O'Neill, Jr. Taylor Bryan Theunissen Patrick Dickerson Odom Lisa Sykes Thibodeaux Marcellus Malcolm Pearce Tamara Nadine Todd Peggy J. Penny Bruce Seymour Torrance, III Derek Layne Pepiak John Hunt Udall Tiffany Anne Perez Timothy Allain Viator Michelle Alaina Perkins Chad Allen Vincent Amanda Phuong Pham Christopher Michael Voigt Adrienne Leigh Potts Shannon Kelly Wahl Chad Landon Prather Jeremy Paul Watkins Keren Elizabeth Ray Frank Edward Wilklow Jeff Steven Redmond Jeffrey Oneil Dimitry Willams Georgina Rose Richard Saul Wilson Page 11 Dr. Marilyn Zimny Page 12 Dr. Marilyn Zimny recently retired as the Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and Technology Transfer for the LSU Systems Office. This latest position followed an outstanding career that began when she earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois in 1948, and both her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Loyola University's Strictch School of Medicine in Chicago in 1954. Dr. Zimny joined the LSU Health Sciences Center that same year and quickly rose through the ranks. From 1961-62 she served as a founding professor of the University of Costa Rica's School of Medicine in San Jose, Costa Rica. In 1976, she was named the head of the Department of Anatomy at LSUHSC, the first woman to lead a basic science department in the history of the School of Medicine. In 1990, Dr. Zimny was named Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, a capacity in which she served until her retirement from LSUHSC IN 1998. Throughout her career, her dedication to education, research, and service has been paramount. During her tenure at LSUHSC, Dr. Zimny served as course director for classes in each of the five schools. She has received many grants, including awards from the Louisiana Heart Association, the NIH, and the NSF. She has over 100 scholarly publications and has mentored seven doctoral and three master degree students, as well as 40 physicians and dentists. Dr. Zimny has served as the chairman of he Board of Regents' Task Force on Health Science Education and of the LEQSF Strategic Planning Committee. She was also a member of the Southern Regional Education Board Regional Consortium of State Higher Education Health Affairs Officials. She has served on several search committees including those for the Director of the Department of Nursing Education, the Dean of the School of Nursing, and the Head of the Department of Physiology. She also chaired the search committees for the Heads of the Departments of Biochemistry and Microbiology. Dr. Zimny was a member of the Dental School's Academic Performance and Research and Grant Committees. She also served as a member of the School of Allied Health Professions' Advisory Committee for Respiratory Therapy. She is also a member of the American Physiology Society, the Electron Microscopy Society of America, the American Association of Dental Schools (for which she served as Section Officer for the Section of Anatomical Sciences), the Test Construction Committee of the American Dental Association, and the American Association of Anatomists for which she was also the first female program secretary. Her career has been recognized many times over with special honors and awards, including being named Best Pre-Clinical Lecturer for the School of Medicine for three years and most popular teacher by the Dental School students. She is an honorary member of both the National Dental Honorary Society and the National Medical Honorary Society. In 1965, the LSUHSC Medical Alumni Association announced the establishment of the Marilyn L. Zimny, Ph.D. Professorship of Anatomy. This was subsequently followed by the establishment of the Marilyn L. Zimny, Ph.D. Professorship in Graduate Studies. Dr. Zimny is listed in Who's Who of America and in Who's Who in the World, fitting honors for such an illustrious career. We do not, however, need these honors to help us recognize a truly remarkable woman who has been a mentor to many and a friend to all. Page 13 Academic Traditions The celebration of commencement is a rich tapestry of tradition. Each tradition adds to the pageantry and the majesty of one of the Health Sciences Center's most solemn yet joyous occasions. The conferring of degrees is formal recognition that our graduates have attained mastery of the healing arts and sciences and are fully prepared to accept the sacred trust which will soon be bestowed upon them by their patients and clients. This is a very special day for the entire LSU Health Sciences Center family, and so that the meaning of this ceremony will be deepened and the celebration more fitting the magnitude of accomplishment of our faculty and students, the Health Sciences Center is inaugurating a number of traditions during today's commencement ceremony. Please join LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans as we weave these time-honored traditions into our own commencement tapestry. Academic Regalia The origins of academic regalia date back to the 12th and 13th centuries. The long robe and hood were borrowed from clerical dress with a nod toward practicality for the warmth the costume provided in unheated and drafty halls. While proper academic dress was defined for the first time during the reign of Henry VIII at Oxford and Cambridge, it was not until the 19th century and, then only in the United States, that it was standardized. Colors were assigned to signify the various areas of scholarly pursuit. Green, the color of medieval herbs, was chosen for medicine, and golden yellow, representing the wealth produced by scientific research, was selected for the sciences. In 1932, the American Council on Education approved an academic costume code which, with few changes, is still used today. The principle features of academic dress are three: The gown, the cap and the hood. The Gown. The flowing black gown comes from the twelfth century. It has become symbolic of the democracy of scholarship, for it completely covers and dress of rank or social standing beneath. Gowns with pointed sleeves designate the Associate and Bachelor's degree; long, closed sleeves are used for the Master's degree, with a slit for the arm; and round, open sleeves indicate the Doctor's degree. The gown worn for Associate, Bachelor's or Master's degree has no trimmings. The gown for the Doctor's degree is faced down the front with velvet and has three bars of velvet across the sleeves, in the color distinctive of the faculty or discipline to which the degree pertains. For certain institutions, the official colors of the college or university may appear on the gown or its decorations. The Cap. The freed slave in Ancient Rome won the privilege of wearing a cap, and so the academic cap is a sign of the freedom of scholarship and the responsibility and dignity with which scholarship endows the wearer. Old poetry records the cap of scholarship as a square to symbolize the book, although some authorities claim the mortar board is a symbol of the masons, a privileged guild. The color of the tassel on the cap denotes the discipline, although a gold tassel may be worn with any Doctor's gown. Page 14 The Hood. Heraldically, the hood is an inverted shield with one or more chevrons of a secondary color on the ground of the primary color of the college or university. The color of the face of the hood denotes the discipline represented by the degree; the color of the lining of the hood designates the university or college from which the degree was granted. The academic colors used in LSU Health Sciences Center's commencement ceremony are green for medicine, lilac for dentistry, apricot for nursing, gold for allied health professions, and dark blue for graduate studies. The University Mace The academic mace comes from a heritage imbued with tradition and symbolism. Long held as a symbol of strength and authority, there are a number of theories about its origin. Although some say the word mace is derived from the French word masse, meaning club, one of the earliest references to a mace was an ebony-black effigy discovered in King Tut's tomb of "a King, gold-sandalled, bearing staff and mace". During medieval times, the mace of arms was cast as a weapon—a heavy staff or club often made of iron with a spiked end used by knights to penetrate and break armor. Bodyguards carried maces to protect their royals in processions. But by the 14th century, the use of maces was becoming more ceremonial, sometimes carried in processions of civil ceremonies with mayors and other dignitaries. The mace began to lose its warlike appearance, instead being adorned with jewels and precious metals. Maces were not used as weapons after the 16th century. The first dated record of the mace's transition to academics was in 1385 when a mace was carried at the University of Vienna. Today, the British Parliament, the Congress of the United States, and many other governmental bodies use stationary ceremonial maces. Increasingly more universities are embracing the enduring tradition of heralding their academic processions with a ceremonial mace, carried before the university leadership as an ensign of authority, dignity, succession, and the rich symbolism unique to each university. The mace of the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans was designed to define the Center and to reflect its missions and its heritage. The mace is topped with the mother pelican feeding her young taken from the Louisiana State Seal. The nest rests atop a custom- made purple glass globe, engraved with the names of the six professional schools of LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. The neck of the solid mahogany staff is finished in gold, adorned with the symbols depicting the four missions of the health sciences center-education, patient care, research, and outreach, as well as a representation of Hygia, the daughter of Aesculapius and the Goddess of Health. The base is finished with founding year, 1931, and decorated with a fleur- de-lis, to recognize the founding of the Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. Page 15 The University Gonfalons A gonfalon is a flag that hangs from a crosspiece or frame. The first gonfalons were displayed in medieval Italy as an ensign of state or office as well as in ecclesiastical processions. From the Germanic compound gund-fanon (battle flag), gonfalons were also used as flags of battle. They are frequently seen at the heads of religious or military processions, always accompanied by "valets" or "honor guards". Many universities around the world have adopted them to lead academic processions as they comprise a unique and colorful ceremonial display. As tradition dictates, the gonfalon of each LSU Health Sciences Center school will be carried by a graduating student chosen specifically for that honor. The gonfalons are made in the appropriate academic color for each school, and contain a visual element representing the academic discipline of the school, as well as the university seal. Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man is the symbol on allied health's golden gonfalon. Vitruvius, a Roman engineer of the first century B.C. influenced da Vinci's drawings of the human body. The drawing is based upon a model of ideal proportions which Vitruvius established and is the symbol most frequently representative of the specialties of the allied health professions. The nursing gonfalon is apricot and its symbol is the burning lamp of Florence Nightingale. Florence Nightingale was called "the lady with the lamp" because she used a lamp in her selfless duty in the Crimean War, although hers was a collapsible paper cylinder which protected the flame and diffused more light. The lamp has come to symbolize nursing to honor Florence Nightingale's enormous dedication and contributions to the nursing profession, as well as to represent the lamp of knowledge. The dentistry gonfalon is lilac with the official emblem for dentistry adopted in 1965. The design uses as its central figure a serpent entwined about an ancient Arabian cautery. The Greek letter (delta), for dentistry, and (omicron) for odont (tooth) form the periphery of the design. In the background of the design are 32 leaves and 20 berries, representing the permanent and temporary teeth. The graduate studies gonfalon is dark blue and its symbol is DNA, the building blocks of life. These building blocks are essential in the research done in the doctoral programs of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Biochemistry, Human Genetics, Microbiology, Neuroscience, Pathology, Pharmacology, and Physiology. The medicine gonfalon is green, and its symbol is the caduceus, the staff with winding serpents topped by a pair of wings from Greek mythology that has come to represent the medical profession in the United States. In Greek and Roman mythology, the caduceus, like the staff of Aesculapius, was associated with healing and immortality. Both were used as printer's marks from the 16th century on, especially as frontispieces to pharmacopoeias in the 17th an 18th centuries. One theory postulates that as printers saw themselves as messengers of the printed word and thus disseminators of knowledge, they chose the symbol of the messenger of the ancient gods, Hermes. The United States Army adopted the caduceus as the official emblem of its medical department in 1902 , cementing its use as such in this country. Page 16