Student Perspectives: School of Science & Engineering

Hello future Tulane Class of 2020! My name is Emily Sturtz, and I am a current senior finishing up a double major in Psychology and English. Throughout my four years here, I have had the opportunity to take many classes that are not only interesting, but also inspired me to pursue graduate study in the field of Psychology. When I was an incoming freshman, I was unsure exactly what I wanted to study (a struggle I’m sure many of you are facing right now). After sitting in my “Introduction to Psychology” class first semester, however, I realized that a major in Psychology would be the perfect way for me to study something that I loved while also preparing me for a future career.

After declaring my Psychology major, the classes I have taken have consistently reminded me that I made the right decision. For example, Dr. Patterson’s “Abnormal Psychology” class engaged students beyond the textbook by applying examples from her years in practice, and also encouraged students to link course material to outside sources, such as movies and television shows. This is just one of many examples of the incredible professors I have had not only in the Psychology Department, but also in many of the other classes I have taken in the School of Science and Engineering. During my sophomore year, I had the privilege of taking a Neuroscience class, “Brain and Behavior” with one of Tulane’s most popular professors, Dr. Beth Wee. This class was definitely one of my more challenging classes, and Dr. Wee did absolutely everything she could to make sure I gained as much as I could from the class.  She was always available during office hours for me to ask questions about material and go over tests, and she was so supportive when I was struggling more than usual with a particular concept. My experience with Dr. Wee is not unusual, because I have heard hundreds of iterations of similar stories from my fellow classmates about Dr. Wee’s dedication to her students.

Many students get involved in research on both the Uptown and Downtown campuses as undergraduates.

It is also very common for students for participate in research on campus, even starting as early as their second semester. For the past two years, I have had the opportunity to work as a research assistant in Dr. Laurie O’Brien’s Social Perception Lab, and my experience in the lab has been invaluable for learning skills and practices that I can use here as well as in graduate study. Additionally, many of my fellow research assistants in this lab have presented at conferences about studies that we have worked on. There are many opportunities for research in various disciplines within the School of Science and Engineering, such as Biomedical Engineering, Biology, and Earth and Environmental Sciences, just to name a few.

As I am finishing up my last few months at Tulane, though I am sad to go, I feel incredibly prepared to take the next step toward my future career. Next year, I will begin the long journey to a Ph.D in School Psychology at another university, but I am taking with me all of the knowledge and experience I have gained through my time at Tulane. Through my research experience, dedicated teachers, and courses that are rooted in current topics in the field, Tulane has provided me with multiple opportunities to succeed not only here but in the future as well.



Emily Sturtz is a Senior graduating in May 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and English.  

Student Perspectives: School of Architecture

When I decided to major in Architecture, I really had no clue what I was getting myself into for the next five years, but I can safely say from the finish line that it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. The absolute best decision I ever made was to study architecture at Tulane, where I’ve had the opportunity to broaden my architecture career through unique academic opportunities, professor relationships, extracurricular involvement, and summer job opportunities. The past four years as an architecture student at Tulane have been the most diverse, transformative, and fun years of my life, and I’m grateful to have one more year here!

Final review during 3rd year, comprehensive studio

The most important thing to remember when choosing to be an architecture major is to keep your mind open, whether during the school year or during the summer. During my freshman year, even though I was completing some of my studio courses, I also selected a course in the business school, took a political science class, and intensely studied Pride and Prejudice in my intro English class. That summer I went off and worked as a raft guide in North Carolina, of all things, and when I returned for my sophomore year I had had all of these experiences outside of the architecture school that strengthened my architecture coursework. This patterned continued for the next two years; in the summer, I would jet off to the mountains to immerse myself in nature, and in the fall and spring I would balance my architecture coursework with courses that interested me outside of design. This past summer, I finally landed an internship with Gensler, an amazing design firm with 50 offices all over the world. Had I not had such a range of experiences during the past three years at Tulane, I don’t think I would have even been considered!

Stopping by the Pantheon on my way to studio

This past year, I studied abroad in Rome with Tulane School of Architecture, so I went with Tulane students and was taught by Tulane professors. This was my first time abroad and I loved every minute of it; not only did I get to travel extensively, but every single day I enjoyed gelato, a walk by the Pantheon on my way to studio, and time sketching some architectural works that have been around for a really long time.

During my time abroad I also received a travel fellowship from the School of Architecture, which is a grant that allows you to travel for about a month and study a topic of your choosing. Visiting Yosemite National Park has been a dream of mine for a while now, so I will be using the fellowship to travel to Yosemite and other areas in the Pacific Northwest to study nature’s natural design elements and the effects that nature has on human behavior, and then I will determine techniques for us to apply these lessons to design more tangibly.

Hiking in the Italian Dolomites

This semester I am participating in the URBANbuild program, which is a full year design + build studio, so students design a house in the fall and then build it in the spring. Since I was abroad in the fall, I joined in for the build this spring with 11 other students. We started with piles of dirt on the ground and now we are adding the finishing touches! Though this experience has been physically demanding and exhausting at times, it has been incredibly rewarding and invaluable to my time as an architecture student.

During my final year at Tulane, I will work on my architecture thesis while also serving as the Vice President for Academic Affairs on the Undergraduate Student Government and working as an Admissions Intern. Because I’ve worn so many different hats during my time at Tulane, I’m not 100% which one I will wear more permanently when I graduate next spring with a Masters in Architecture. Some days I think about continuing work with a larger firm, and other days I think about pursuing historic preservation or real estate. Even after four years of design school, I’m still a glutton for some HGTV, so who is to say I won’t try to have my own show on there! All I know for certain is that I’m grateful to have had so many experiences here, ones that have really shaped my development as a student, a friend, a leader, and a designer, and because of that I don’t know if I will ever be able to call anywhere that is not New Orleans home.

The URBANbuild 11 house as of January 15

The URBANbuild 11 house as of April

Chesley McCarty is a Senior graduating in May 2017 with a Masters in Architecture. 

Student Perspectives: Tulane School of Liberal Arts

During my time at Tulane, the School of Liberal Arts has really defined my academic experience. I am a junior majoring in English and Digital Media Production with a minor in Economics. The classes I have taken and the professors that I have had have helped me to develop my critical thinking, writing, and public speaking skills in ways that I had never even imagined.

One of my favorite classes that I am currently taking is my screenwriting course. Every week for our homework we watch and read the screenplay of a critically acclaimed film (this week it happened to be The Graduate). Additionally, throughout the course we have been working on our own short screenplays. We critique each others work in class and assign our peers to act out the roles; which is both a fun and rewarding experience, as you get to hear your own piece preformed. All of my liberal arts classes have been very small which has made it incredibly easy to form relationships with my professors as well as my peers.

This past semester I studied abroad in Sydney, Australia through the School of Liberal Arts. I attended the University of Sydney where I took classes in Australian art, film, and history. I even took an English course titled “Imagining America” (where I was the only American student in the class). I also completed a digital media internship for credit during my time abroad. It was truly a cultural immersive experience as I lived in a residential college, St. John’s, among 250 Australians. All of my credits transferred back as Tulane credits and even after going abroad I still have the option to graduate a full semester early.

My experiences in the classroom have prepared me so well for future internship and job opportunities. Having to participate in class on a daily basis has made me a very confident public speaker as well as given me the ability to quickly think on my feet. This summer I have secured an Entertainment internship in Los Angeles by utilizing the Tulane alumni network. I am excited for the opportunity and know I am well prepared from all of the skills I have gained in my coursework!

Maddie McGee is a Junior graduating in May 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Digital Media Production with a minor in Economics. 

Student Perspectives: Freeman School of Business

First day of school with my roommate Kate!

Teary eyed, I hugged my parents as we parted ways on August 25, 2012. I took a deep breath, turned around, and smiled as I walked with my roommate into McAlister Auditorium for Convocation…. Fast-forward four years: while saying goodbye to my parents was difficult on that hot August day, saying goodbye to Tulane will be even harder.

Born and raised “down the bayou” in Cut Off, I wasn’t ready to leave Louisiana for college. When I discovered Tulane, I realized that I had found the perfect blend of what I loved from my home state mixed with everything else that the rest of the country had to offer.

Coming to Tulane, I wanted to study finance, and economics, and political science and French, and psychology, and the list could go on forever. As an incoming student, I loved that Tulane would give me the opportunity to discover what field was the right fit without having to commit to a major until the end of my sophomore year.

Assuming that my primary major would be in the business school, I used my freshman year to focus on business prerequisite courses—classes like PSYC 1000 and ECON 1010—but I also dabbled in other subjects like Intro to Philosophy, Intro to International Relations, and Plays and Playwrights.

Freshman Year Tip: Don't stress over your major. Take classes that you enjoy, hold onto your GPA, and the rest will fall into place.

The summer after my first year, I returned to my hometown. Knowing that I didn’t want to be a lifeguard for yet another summer but not wanting to beg my parents for spending money, I mustered up the courage and walked into a local bank to ask for an “internship.” I spoke with the bank’s president and, though I had no skills that would make me useful to a bank, he was very generous in offering me a position. While I didn’t exactly learn all the inner-workings of a bank (I mainly answered phone calls and made copies all day), I didn’t have to sit in the sun, and I learned a lot about office culture.

Freshman Summer Tip: Do something that you truly enjoy. Go back to camp. Teach swimming lessons. Travel. Or work at a bank? As long as it makes you happy.

The beginning of sophomore year was so exciting! I got to return to my favorite place (that’s Tulane, if you’re wondering) and got to see my favorite people. As a sophomore, I knew my way around campus and had a group of friends that made the transition back to living away from home easy. However, sophomore year classes were a little more challenging because I entered the land of the A.B. Freeman School of Business (the “B School”).

Even though you’re not required to declare your major until the end of sophomore year, if you’re interested in a business degree, it’s a good idea to start taking the B School core classes (known as the “thirty-tens”) during your second year. You can check out the list of core requirements in the A.B. Freeman Freshman Guide.

The Freeman Core curriculum introduces students to the many facets of the B School. One of my favorite classes was Legal, Ethical, and Regulatory Environment of Business (I promise it’s not as daunting as the title sounds) with Professor Mike Hogg. In addition to being the Associate Dean for the Business School, Prof. Hogg is an incredible teacher. He’s the kind of professor that makes you want to do the readings (not just because he cold-calls you in class if you make eye contact), but because you want to match the effort that he puts into every lecture. Despite my distaste for reading and writing legal documents, I loved his course so much that opted to take another one of his classes, Business Law, last semester.

The Phi Pledge Class (Fall 2014) of the Pi Chi chapter of Alpha Kappa Psi

At the beginning of my second year, I made the decision to rush Alpha Kappa Psi, a co-ed professional business fraternity. Without a doubt, joining AKPsi has been the most rewarding experience of my Tulane career. I gained 120+ “brothers” who are always willing to offer advice and support. I’ve also been given many leadership opportunities, serving as co-Pledge Instructor during the first semester of my junior year and Vice President of External Affairs during the first semester of my senior year.

In addition to AKPsi, the B School offers a variety of business organizations including Freeman Student Government (FSG), Green Bull Investment Group, Toastmasters International, and the American Marketing Association. You can find a list of all the business school organizations here.

Toward the end of my sophomore year, I officially declared a double major in Finance (with an Energy Concentration) and Marketing with minor in Psychology. Though it took a lot of planning with my academic advisor, Sarah, and my major advisor, Kate, together we figured out a schedule that would allow me to fulfill the requirements for my intended majors/minor without making me go completely crazy.

Sophomore Year Tips: Meet with your advisor(s) regularly. Talk to older students about their majors. Join clubs and organizations. Office hours aren’t that scary. Also, it’s still not too late to decide that you ~hate~ your major.

Though I always had an interest in studying abroad, leaving Tulane for an entire semester my junior year was unimaginable. I didn’t want to leave my friends and the home that I had created here. Looking back, a semester isn’t so long. In fact, some of my friends even decided that they wanted to study abroad for an entire year! Because Tulane understands how enriching and fulfilling studying in a different country can be, the university offers a variety of different programs to meet its students’ desires. Since I didn’t want to study abroad during the school year, I chose a four-week summer program through the B School in Paris and Madrid. I earned 6 credits which transferred seamlessly back to Tulane, and on our weekends off I got the opportunity to travel to London and Barcelona.

Study Abroad Tip: Book flights & trains early. I had to take an 8-hour bus trip from Barcelona to Madrid because all the trains were booked…but I had class the next morning!


Sophomore Summer Tip: Lots of students like to stay in New Orleans. Many students sign leases on off-campus houses and get an internship or a job in the Uptown area. This could be the perfect time to do volunteer work, take summer courses, or get your first office experience.

When most people think of research, they think science. When I thought of research, I thought: NOT FOR ME. If you told freshman year Kelly that she would be part of a group that would publish a 35-page equity research report, she would have called you crazy. I guess two and a half years at Tulane made me crazy because I applied to take FINE 4160, better known as “Burkenroads” during the spring of my junior year. Burkenroad Reports is a program founded by Tulane’s Peter Ricchiuti, where students work in small groups to analyze small- to mid-cap companies that are typically under-followed by Wall Street. My group had the opportunity to build a financial model, speak with current financial analysts, meet with the Company’s management, and attend the annual Burkenroad Investment Conference in April 2015. To learn more about the program (and perhaps to stumble upon my report), you can check out the Burkenroad Reports website.

My Burkenroad Reports group with Gulf Island Fabrication’s Vice President and General Manager, William “Bill” Blanchard, in Houma, LA.

For many finance majors, junior year brings with it the expectation of a glamorous Wall Street internship. After realizing I was a *little* late in my internship search, I reached out to my career advisor, Meg Hunt, in the business school’s Career Management Center (CMC). Through my Career Development and Management course sophomore year, I had worked on my resume with Meg; however, I needed to tailor it to the internships for which I was applying. Since I missed many of the deadlines for the finance internships (most fill up during the Fall), I decided I would focus on marketing. Once my resume and cover letters were perfected, I began the application process, applying to 40+ internships across the country that January. 

Though the following weeks were met with much disappointment—especially since I kept comparing myself to many of my friends who had already signed offers—I finally got an email asking me for a phone interview with the number one company on my internship list: the National Football League. I was ecstatic! 

I immediately logged onto FreemanLink (an online platform through the CMC that allows you to look for internships and to take advantage of the many services offered by the CMC) to book an interview room. Less than two hours later, my interview room was booked and confirmed, which relieved me of the stress of trying to find a quiet place to do the interview. Three weeks later, I was contacted for a second round interview—this time it was a video interview. I met with Meg once again to prepare for the interview, and the next day I was sitting in one of the interview rooms yet again. Not quite sure if I had nailed it or failed it, I continued waiting to hear back. 

Throughout the spring semester I received 12 rejection emails from companies that “appreciated my interest” but “did not feel like [I] would be a fit for the company.” The other companies remained silent. Though I was very discouraged, I continued to apply to internships throughout the semester. At the end of March, I received a call from the HR department at the NFL, and I received my first (and only) internship offer! I was jumping up and down with excitement and was already looking for places to live in New York City when I called my mom.

2015 NFL Summer Interns with Commissioner Roger Goodell

Junior Year Tips: Start the internship search early, and look for a position in your intended field of work—many internships lead to full-time offers after graduation. Keep meeting with your advisor to make sure you’re on the right track to graduate on time. Oh, and have fun!

Meeting up with AKPsi brothers in New York City

My summer in New York was incredible. Nowhere near as scorching as the July heat in New Orleans, I would walk through the streets of New York City amazed that, despite being 1,368 miles from home, there were tons of familiar faces. Tulane alumni are scattered around the United States, so no matter where you go, you’ll always have someone to guide you.

I met up with many current students and alumni, including an A.B. Freeman alumnus who is working for the NFL. In addition, I got the opportunity to go to a Tulane networking event in Manhattan called “Summer in the City,” where I met with even more alumni, all of whom were extremely friendly, knowledgeable, and encouraging.

Junior Summer Tips: Network with alumni (LinkedIn will become your best friend), and keep in touch with them! Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. Also…you don’t have to love your internship. It’s okay to say “no” and to try something else. 

In the midst of the excitement at the end of junior year, I joined Tulane’s Joint BSM-MACCT program—a 5-year program where students earn their Bachelor of Science in Management and a Master of Accounting. Students are considered undergraduates for the duration of the program, which means that undergraduate scholarships and financial aid eligibility will extend through the fifth year.

One of the coolest parts of the Master of Accounting program (apart from being at Tulane for 5 years), is that students leave for three months during the spring of their fourth year to do a “busy season” internship at an accounting firm in the city of their choosing. All of the “Big 4” accounting firms (Deloitte, EY, KPMG, & PwC) as well as many regional firms visit campus to recruit students for internships and full-time positions.

After interviewing with the Big 4 during the fall of my senior year, I ultimately accepted an offer to work with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) from January-March in New York City. Though I had a ton of FOMO for Mardi Gras, my internship with PwC was one of the most fulfilling (though exhausting) opportunities that I’ve been granted through Tulane. Not only did I receive course credit, but I also got paid! And I received a full-time job offer—starting 18 months from now! 

Next week, I’ll be returning to Tulane to take three intensive accounting classes crafted specifically for the students who went away for busy season internships. These nine credits, in addition to the three credits received from my internship, will allow me to maintain my status as a full-time student for this semester. 

I don’t know what the next year has in store for me, but I hope that it’s filled with friends, fun, and lots of ~free~ food. Thankfully I still have another year at Tulane to enjoy all the wonderful things that this University and that New Orleans has to offer before I move away to New York City. Although the future is scary, knowing that I have a network of people stretching across the globe who are willing to help me, guide me, and encourage me, makes me realize that four (or in my case, five) years at Tulane gives you so much more than just an education—it brings opportunities and friendships that will change your life.

Kelly Aucoin is a Senior graduating in May 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Management and a Master of Accounting.

Student Perspectives: School of Public Health

My name is Adam Kline and I am a senior from Lexington, Kentucky. Early on during my freshman year, my academic advisor suggested that I take one of the Introductory Public Health courses. Soon after, I knew it would be my primary major at Tulane. There were a ton of reasons—though most I didn’t discover until later—that public health was the right fit for me, but foremost was my belief that preventative health care works best. Public health builds on this idea by training students in-depth on different parts of the broad spectrum that is preventative health. This includes everything from epidemiology and biostatistics to infectious disease biology and intervention policy. These concepts are reinforced outside of the classroom by working in the New Orleans community through service learning and other health related organizations.

My sophomore year service learning project was with a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that was in the process of starting up in the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans. Our goal was to help finish the research of a doctoral student working with the FQHC which would be used to decide what services would be offered at the clinic. The research included breaking the area up into census tracts, surveying the residents in the area, and then analyzing the data to come up with suggestions. This experience taught me the importance of community input in health interventions, as well as a variety of valuable research skills—and it ended up leading to a paid internship a summer later.

I’ve had dozens of great professors throughout my time in the School of Public Health and many courses worth mentioning. One of my favorites is taught by Dr. Joe Keating, who now serves as the Dean of the Undergraduate Public Health program. The title Issues and Strategies in Public Health left me unsure what to expect from the course, but starting from day one Dr. Keating made it clear that the class would focus on practical ways to battle infectious diseases in different parts of the world. His style of teaching was rather unconventional in a good way: the PowerPoints consisted almost entirely of photos that he or colleagues had taken in the regions we discussed in class. This meant that instead of studying the abstracts of public health policy, we got to see how the interventions changed within the target regions and what risks still remained. A good example is during his discussion of Guinea Worm, Dr. Keating showed photos of four different regions where it was transmitted and had groups pick out the best intervention for each one and explain why.

The Undergraduate Public Health building on the uptown campus provides a great space to meet with professors,
our advisors, and other students from the undergraduate and various graduate programs!

The service learning project that I mentioned before was correlated with a course taught by Dr. Local Solutions to Global Problems. Dr. Gleckler is one of the most involved public health professors due to her conveniently located office on the Uptown campus. Her involvement in shaping the undergraduate curriculum is reflected in her ability to get to know the students individually. Many students (myself included) end up asking Dr. Gleckler to write their recommendations for post-graduate jobs and graduate programs because she teaches them in two or more courses and has just as much of an interest in getting to know the students as she does in teaching them. Although this is a reflection on the greater trend of small, interactive classes at Tulane, it is especially true for her classes—even the larger-sized ones. Thanks to Dr. Gleckler’s service learning class, I got the aforementioned internship with the New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice (NOWCRJ) where I organized and conducted direct research in the southeastern Louisiana region on immigrant worker health disparities. Since then I’ve presented the findings at conferences and to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in Louisiana to further NOWCRJ’s advocacy.
Elisabeth Gleckler called

One last public health experience I’ll share that was made possible by Tulane was my role as a translator in Nicaragua. The trip, which I have actually gone on three times now, was with Dr. Brumfield, a cardiologist from my hometown of Lexington. I met Dr. Brumfield through a family friend when he asked me to help him with an upcoming medical mission run through Project Health for Leon since he knew I was bilingual. The brigade, which lasted for nine days during the school year, included clinic visits with dozens of patients and double digit cardiac device implantations—all of which I interpreted conversations for Dr. Brumfield with patients, nurses and other doctors.

Newcomb Tulane College is an entity that encompasses all five undergraduate schools and offers grants to students for research, travel and other independent or group projects. Applying for the grants includes writing a proposal and creating a budget, all of which I did for my trip, and they paid for the travel and housing expenses. Many students apply for these grants for a wide variety of projects, but they are especially useful for public health students who find international opportunities that may not otherwise be funded.

For all the freshmen out there undecided on what your major will be, don’t worry! There’s no way of knowing if something’s right for you until you try it. That’s why I always recommend that students who might be the slightest bit interested in the health sector take the introductory public health class to see if they like it. Most public health majors, like me, end up knowing right away.

Adam Kline is a Senior graduating in May 2016 with a Bachelors of Science in Public Health.

TU Campus Recreation

A Guide to Club Sports and Intramurals at Tulane

In high school, I played all sorts of sports and definitely wanted to continue competing in college. If varsity athletics isn’t the choice for you, there are still many different outlets to play the sports that you love! With over 30 club sports organizations, ranging from recreational to competitive, there is ample opportunity to continue a sport that you have played your whole life or try something entirely new.  Plus, if there is a sport that we don’t currently offer, all you need is 10 interested students and you can start your own Tulane sponsored team.

Some club teams practice once a week, while others practice up to four times per week. Some teams travel multiple times per semester, while others play locally. Commitment levels vary, but it’s not hard to find a club that fits into your schedule. You can join multiple or try a few out before you decide.

The men's Ultimate team lines up for the start of a match.

During my first month at Tulane, I joined the Ultimate Frisbee Team. I honestly didn’t know Ultimate was a “real” sport and could barely even throw a frisbee, but I tried it out anyway.  When they said no experience required, they weren’t kidding. I stuck with it, caught on, and now as a senior, I am the team captain. We travel all over the southeast to places like Tallahassee, Atlanta, and Nashville to compete with other colleges and universities; it has provided an incredible opportunity to visit so many new places that I wouldn’t have visited otherwise. It’s great being part of such a close knit team and has truly shaped my college experience.

If you can’t commit to a club team, there is also the option of playing intramural (IM) sports. You can get together with some friends from your floor or even sign up for a team as an individual.

All of the teams in the IM league are made up of Tulane students, faculty, or staff. Teams usually play once a week on our campus field. The schedules for the regular season & championships are all made and managed at the Reily Recreation Center. Tulane has flag football, sand volleyball, soccer, and dodgeball just to name a few. 

Whether your goal is to win the coveted Intramural Championship t-shirts or just to have fun, intramurals are a great way to meet more people and try something new with no added pressure.

Many of the Intramural teams play in the evenings outside on Brown Field, Tulane's very own turf field.

The Reily Recreation Center in all of its glory.

About the Author:

Marypat Henry

Class of 2016 

Freeman School of Business  

Involvement: President of the Association of Club Sports

Diversity and Inclusive Excellence at Tulane

Janet Mock and Alexis De Veaux

 Recently, Janet Mock, host of MSNBC’s So POPular, came to speak at Tulane. A black trans woman known for her cultural insight and vocal activism for the trans community, Mock was welcomed to campus in the midst of an inspiring, ongoing cultural shift at Tulane; driven by the work of impassioned student organizers, the university has declaratively set out to improve its practices regarding diversity and inclusivity on campus and its student body is following suit. Mock’s conversation with Alexis De Veaux was an example of this change.  As part of an annual series of events, known as Audre Lorde Days (named after the famous Black, feminist, lesbian scholar), Mock’s visit aimed to be yet another way students could celebrate the myriad of intersectional identities you will find not just on Tulane’s campus but around the world! 

Dillon rocking some Mardi Gras beads
after the Thoth parade.

Dillon Pérez is a Latino-Jewish student who chairs the Multicultural Council (MCC) and provides an extra voice for Tulane’s students of color. Here is Dillon's perspective:    

Before coming to Tulane, I had always lived in a place where Latinos were in the majority. Growing up between Queens, NY and South Florida, my Ecuadorian roots were accentuated each and every day by the Spanish I spoke with my friends and the cumbia music I heard blasting from the streets. At Tulane, I quickly learned that this was not the case, and when I first came here, the predominantly white student body proved to be a major culture shock for me. I feared not finding a niche for myself, meeting others like me, or enjoying as much out of college as my peers who went to schools closer to home. That is, I had these fears until I was acquainted with the O and the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA)! 

There are simply not enough words to describe how special, active, and supportive the community of students of color is at Tulane University, and the O is its epicenter. Founded 30 years ago by a woman who has become a dear mentor to us all, Ms. Carolyn Barber-Pierre, the O and its related offices (the Office of Gender and Sexual Diversity, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, and the Office of Religious Life) have been at the forefront of cultural and institutional change on Tulane’s campus. 

The O provides a space for all Tulanians to feel welcomed and accepted for their respective, unique identities; however, it also provides a collaborative and innovative space, where students from underrepresented backgrounds can come together to discuss solutions to pressing issues on campus and around the world!  

If you are interested in learning more about multicultural life at Tulane, then know that it is incredibly easy to get involved! I would highly suggest the following programs the MCC and the OMA put on each year for any incoming freshman:

Multicultural Organizations at the Activities Expo:
Every year, there is a Fall Activities Expo during the first two weeks of school, showing off all of the 200+ student organizations Tulane has to offer! Be sure to take the time to say hello to all of the multicultural organizations that will be there: Black Student Union (tBSU), Muslim Students Association (MSA), GENTE (the Latino collective), Tulane Vietnamese Association (TUVA), Tulane Chinese Students and Scholars Association (TCSSA), Indian Association of Tulane University (IATU), Asian-American Student Union (AASU), Men of Color (MOC), and Students Organizing Against Racism (SOAR)!

Multicultural Orientation:

Beach party at The O’s Fall Multicultural Retreat

The O’s annual orientation for first-year students includes a parent meeting, student meeting, and massive reception, informing incoming freshmen of issues related to diversity and inclusivity on campus while helping students from minority backgrounds meet each other to build a cohesive community.  If not for nothing, there will be tons of delicious, free food! 

The O’s Ambassador Peer Mentorship Program:
One of the roles I am proudest to fill at Tulane is that I am one member of an army of Student Ambassadors for the O. This means I have the privilege of being a mentor to incoming students, an organizer for the O’s events, and a primary communicator for issues relating to diversity and inclusive excellence at Tulane. As incoming freshmen, you should definitely sign up for mentors yourselves! The O works hard to best match mentees to mentors who share their interests, backgrounds, and future prospects. Even more, mentees and their mentors do not just meet up throughout the year, but they also go together to some awesome, free events put on by the O every semester! This year alone, participants in the program went water rafting, went to a concert and had a blast at Sector 6 (the World's Largest indoor trampoline park)! 

Fall Multicultural Leadership Retreat:
Every September, the O hosts a Leadership Retreat in Biloxi, Mississippi, which is essentially a weekend of meeting amazing people, eating a whole bunch of food, participating in fun team-building activities, and exploring poignant ideas about our intersecting identities, issues, and politics. I am so obsessed with this retreat that I participate in it every year! However, the majority of attendees are always incoming freshmen, and this free weekend away is truly a life-changing, unforgettable event!

Students and staff at the Fall Retreat

It is important to know that Tulane is still far from the ideal when it comes to being a fully inclusive environment for students of color; however, there has quite possibly never been a university so dedicated to improving that aspect of itself! Just this past year, due to the tireless organizing efforts of multicultural organizations like our Black Student Union and Students Organizing Against Racism, Tulane’s President Michael Fitts initiated the Commission on Race and Tulane Values, a presidential commission set up to find solutions to many of the issues being raised by students of color on this campus. I am a proud member of the Commission’s Admissions Committee, so I am beyond excited to welcome y’all to the Green Wave community!

Shehan rocking a "Love Wins" shirt
outside the US Supreme Court

Shehan McFadden is a queer student who chairs the Gender and Sexuality Advisory Council (GSAC) and acts as a representative for LGBTQ+ students on campus. Here is Shehan's perspective:

I decided before I started college that I wouldn’t live in the closet. I decided that I would be out, and I would be proud. This was not an easy decision to make, but the resources at Tulane made it possible. Upon arriving at Tulane, I was soon introduced to the O and the Office of Gender and Sexual Diversity (OGSD), headed by the amazing Dr. Red Tremmel, through an annual welcome party called BBQueer. I learned about the Gender and Sexuality Advisory Council (GSAC) and the organizations that create spaces for LGBTQ+ students on campus. In my two years here, I have seen some incredible progress led by both students and members of the O. 

This fall, Tulane rolled out a system that allowed students to enter their preferred names and pronouns into the main database which was then fed to class rosters, the advising center, and more. Housing and Residence Life introduced a new system for the upcoming room selection season that makes choosing Gender-Inclusive Housing simpler and more accessible to all students. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) created a support group for gender variant students called SPECTRUM. All of the single stall bathrooms in the Lavin-Bernick Center (LBC) for University Life are now gender neutral. 

These advancements are thanks, in no small part, to the tireless work of student activists who made their needs and voices heard. Things are still not perfect, but student activists (as well as administrators and staff) are working towards making this campus the most inclusive it can be for LGBTQ+ students. We are organizing to ensure that all students, regardless of gender and gender expression, can use the restroom safely in all the buildings on campus. We are trying to create a climate on campus in which all students feel safe and supported in their dorms, regardless of whether or not they choose Gender-Inclusive Housing.

All of this may seem overwhelming when you are just entering this school, but it’s actually really easy to get connected to the incredible resources that we have on campus; all you have to do is show up. Here are some awesome programs that the O, OGSD, and GSAC organizations put on every year:  

The O Orientation during Move-In Week:

Students tabling at the Fall Activities Expo

Every year, members of the O put on an orientation for underrepresented students to learn about all the university has to offer when it comes to diversity and inclusivity. You will be introduced to all sorts of different resources that we have available and get to enjoy free food afterward.

BBQueer/the OGSD Welcome Party:
In the first few weeks of classes, OGSD organizes a Welcome (Back) Party for LGBTQ+ students so that we can unwind after the start of stressful classes and meet other amazing LGBTQ+ students. We hang out, talk (or vent) about our summers, and see old (or make new) friends over free food.

GSAC Organizations at the Activities Fair:
GSAC Organizations are always ready to meet and mingle! You should come and find us at the Activities Fair that the Student Organizations Center puts on every year. At the Activities Fair, you can meet representatives from the Gender Exploration Society (GES), the Queer Student Alliance (QSA), the Queer Feminist Collective (QFC), and Gamma Rho Lambda (GRL; one of the two multicultural and LGBTQ+ inclusive sororities on campus). Come and see all that we have to offer!

OGSD Open Houses:
OGSD organizes what we call Coffee and Cake, where both new and returning students can mingle and eat free food (can you tell that we’re jazzed about free food?).

Beach party at the Fall Retreat!

The O’s Fall Multicultural Leadership Retreat:
This retreat, always in the first few weeks of school, is a great way to get involved with the O and meet some awesome student leaders. Come hang out with us, learn important leadership skills, and eat early breakfasts before yoga on the beach. It’s in Biloxi, Mississippi just across the street from the beach, and if you don’t think we take full advantage of that, you are definitely underestimating us.







GSAC organizations are great places for LGBTQ+ students to meet others and socialize; these organizations do everything from planning fun movie nights to organizing insightful lectures by leading scholars and activists.  For more information, please see our website here or stop in at the O any time you are in town! We are so excited to meet all of y’all and create a space for you to feel comfortable and loved!