ORD/OSP/TITLE III
Gene D’Amour received his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in Philosophy of Science and Mathematical Logic. He received a faculty appointment to West Virginia University, where he was instrumental in refining, extending and disseminating a new approach to teaching problem solving, one of four in which the Exxon Education Foundation invested $7 million to encourage widespread dissemination. Dr. D’Amour left WVU to serve as a program manager/rotator for the National Science Foundation before moving to Tulane University in 1980. During his twenty-two-year-tenure at Tulane, Dr. D’Amour served in several capacities, including Associate Dean of the Graduate School, Associate Provost, Vice President for Research and Project Administration, and Vice President for Institutional Program Development and Government/Agency Affairs. While at Tulane, Dr. D’Amour developed and played a principal leadership role in implementing Tulane’s Strategic Plan to increase research funding. During this period, Tulane increased its Federal R & D expenditures more than seven-fold, increased its total R & D expenditure ranking by twenty-three places, and its federal R & D ranking by fifteen. Dr. D’Amour served as Chairman of Louisiana’s state-wide NSF EPSCoR Committee from 1985-2002. As Chair, he led the strategic planning process for the newly-created $250 million Board of Regents Support Fund. Also, he was instrumental in organizing the Coalition of EPSCoR States, a Washington based association established to enhance the competitiveness of scientists and engineers in states receiving low levels of federal R & D funding. D’Amour chaired this coalition as it initiated legislation that extended the NSF-EPSCoR program from one to eight Federal agencies and increased appropriations from $10 million to $350 million per year. Dr. D’Amour joined Xavier’s administration as Senior Vice President of Resource Development in 2002. He has been a consultant to more than thirty universities, foundations and government agencies and has been a leader in promoting a variety of non-profit, charitable organizations in the greater metropolitan area of New Orleans. Dr. D’Amour has published one book, The Nature of Evidence, as well as numerous articles spanning the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Sciences.
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Olger C. Twyner, III, serves as Associate Vice President of Sponsored Programs and Title III. He received his B.A. in History from Jackson State University and his J.D. from Ohio State University School of Law, where he was an Earl Warren Legal Training Program Scholar and staff member of the Ohio State Law Journal. He served as a judicial clerk to The Honorable William C. Keady, U.S. District Judge, Northern District of Mississippi. He also practiced public interest law for six years with Southeast Mississippi Legal Services (SEMLSC). Olger received his M.B.A. from Columbia University Business School and served as a consultant to the Ford Foundation. He was the founding Director of the Columbia Business School Community Collaboration and held the position of NYU School of Law’s Coordinator of the Public Interest Law Center. Prior to coming to Xavier, he served as Executive Director of Columbia’s Double Discovery Center.
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Ann M. Smith earned her B.S. in Business Administration and Accounting from SUNO. She began her career as an accountant and retail sales manager for Goodyear. Later, Ann joined CNG Producing Oil & Gas Corp. as the Coordinator of Engineering Service, overseeing construction projects (oil platforms and production facilities) and budgeting matters from a $200 Million Budget. Prior to coming to XU in 2005, she served in the capacity of CFO for the Orleans Parish Clerk of Criminal District Court Office, writing grant proposals, handling the Court’s budgets, and acting as purchasing agent. As XU’s Director of Sponsored Programs Administration for the past three years, Ann has overseen pre and post-award activities for grants totaling, approximately, $147 Million dollars.
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Rachel E. Cruthirds is Assistant Vice President for Resource Development. Prior to joining the XU Family, she was a Program Associate at the Louisiana Board of Regents, working with the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), a National Science Foundation Program. At the BOR, Rachel was additionally responsible for administering a series of faculty development grant programs that enhance the research competitiveness of Louisiana faculty members. Also, she helped administer a $9 million NSF Research Infrastructure Improvement award, which involved over 50 faculty members from nine institutions across the state. A native of Baton Rouge, Rachel earned a B.A. in History from LSU and her M.S. in History and Sociology of Technology and Science from Georgia Tech.
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Alden Reine, Sr. earned his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from UNO. Also, he holds degrees from Xavier and the University of Notre Dame. He has served as a chemist for NIH and for the Southern Regional Research Center, Agriculture Research Service of the U.S.D.A. Alden became Director of Prairie View A & M University’s Cooperative Agriculture Research Center. At Xavier his credits are extensive, having served his alma mater as an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and as Director of the Education Outreach Program in Math and Science for the College of Pharmacy. In 1994, Alden established Xavier’s first Office of Sponsored Programs and served as its first director. Currently, he serves as Assistant Director of the Tulane/Xavier Center for Bioenvironmental Research (CBR), representing Xavier in developing collaborative faculty research programs and research activities for students in the CBR.
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Deborah Lidy Associate Coordinator of Title III, has been a member of Xavier’s staff since 1971. During that time she has held several positions in departments throughout the campus, including Xavier’s Library, the Department of Social Services, the Office of Information Services, Xavier’s Planning Office, and now in the Office of Resource Development/Office of Sponsored Programs. Deborah is a graduate of the Spencer Business School and has completed numerous in-service workshops, including Practice for Excellence, Path to Success, and Skill Path Workshops. She serves as a member of Xavier’s Credit Union Board.
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Brennetta E. Holmes received a B.A. in Management from Southeastern Louisiana University and her M.B.A. from Phoenix University. Her experience includes serving as the Human Resource Coordinator for Agape Christian Academy, Office Assistant at Brooke Staffing, and Admission Coordinator for Fresenius Medical Care. Prior to coming to Xavier, Brennetta was on the staff at Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business as Administrative Secretary. At Xavier, she is the Program Assistant in the Office of Sponsored Programs.
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Isabella B. Thompson joined Xavier University in 2001 as Executive Assistant and Office Manager in Institutional Advancement. She currently serves as Coordinator of Board Relations and Office Administrator for Resource Development, where she is the liaison on board matters with members of Xavier’s Board of Trustees and the University Executive Team. Isabella assists the Senior Vice President of Resource Development and the University President on matters of board governance. Prior to coming to Xavier, Isabella worked as a Planned Gifts Analyst in the Office of Planned Gifts at Tulane University and as a Regional Liaison for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in their conduct and strategic oversight of banks to guarantee financial safety for depositors. Isabella is also active in the areas of social justice, having worked in various counties and parishes to help bring about change in the disparity of economic benefits that exists for many. She holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Rutgers University.
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Carlette A. Reeves earned a B.S. in Business Management and an MAOM degree in Human Resources, both from the University of Phoenix. Carlette came to Xavier from the Orleans Parish School Board where she held several positions, including those of Secretary for the Exceptional Children’s Services Office and Secretary/Junior Buyer for the Purchasing Department. Before coming South, Carlette worked as a Senior Operations Specialist in Payables and Receivables for the Morgan Guaranty Trust Company in Manhattan, New York. She is currently working on her M.S. degree in Human Resource Law. She serves as Executive Assistant to XU’s Sr. Vice President of Resource Development.
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Bonnie L. Zakotnik was born in Washington, D.C. and received a Bachelor of Music Degree from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1968. She completed a Master of Fine Arts Degree at Tulane University and taught music at Xavier Prep. She later obtained a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University of New Orleans. Bonnie worked for a caucus group in the United States Capitol and later in the District Office of The Honorable Lindy (Mrs. Hale) Boggs. Bonnie brought a wealth of experience to XU when she joined Xavier's Office of Sponsored Programs as Compliance Specialist in 2008. She continues her private law practice of thirty years and, in addition, enjoys donating her time and expertise to several civic and church-related organizations. Bonnie has been a member of Xavier University's Catholic Initiative St. Katharine Drexel Chapel Steering Committee since its inception in 2004.
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