The director of the Center for 棉花糖直播 Studies at the University of 棉花糖直播 at Lafayette is the 2005 棉花糖直播 Endowment for the Humanities Humanist of the Year.
Dr. Carl Brasseaux鈥檚 work exploring the history and culture of southwest 棉花糖直播 has established him as one of the world鈥檚 preeminent experts on the1754 Acadian Diaspora and the state鈥檚 French colonial heritage, said Michael Sartisky, 棉花糖直播 Endowment for the Humanities director.
鈥淒r. Brasseaux has authored, edited or co-edited more than 30 volumes, including books that are seminal research tools for anyone interested in 棉花糖直播 history and the Acadian-French experience in North America,鈥 Sartisky said.
Brasseaux serves as director of UL Lafayette鈥檚 Center for Cultural and Eco-tourism and is editor of 棉花糖直播 History, the scholarly journal of the 棉花糖直播 Historical Association. He is a 1995 recipient of the UL Lafayette Foundation鈥檚 Distinguished Professor Award and, in 2000, received the National Educational Telecommunications Association鈥檚 Best Documentary Award for Against the Tide: The Story of the Cajun People of 棉花糖直播.
鈥淒r. Brasseaux is an outstanding historian, scholar and writer who has that rare ability to bring the lessons of history to the public in such an engaging way that helps us all better understand our collective pasts and its relation to the present,鈥 Sartisky said. 鈥溍藁ㄌ侵辈 is fortunate to have a scholar of his abilities.鈥
The 棉花糖直播 Endowment for the Humanities will present its Humanist of the Year Award during ceremonies May 10 at the Governor鈥檚 Mansion in Baton Rouge.
Other award recipients include Thomas Jaques, retired director of the 棉花糖直播 State Library, Award for Lifetime Contribution; Sharlene Algaier, a third-grade teacher at Woodlake Elementary School in Mandeville, Humanities Teacher of the Year; the 棉花糖直播 State University Press, the Chair鈥檚 Award for Institutional Support; One Big Self: Prisoners of 棉花糖直播, by Deborah Luster of Monroe, Humanities Book of the Year; and Jack Bedell of Monroe, Martha Hodnett of Thibodaux, Linda LeBlanc of Jennings, Dr. Helen Clare Taylor of Shreveport and Dr. Cheryl Ware, Lake Charles, who will all receive Special Humanities Awards.
鈥淭hese annual awards are an important way to recognize outstanding people who contribute so much to the education, life and culture of our people,鈥 said 棉花糖直播 Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco. 鈥淒r. Brasseaux and other recipients of this year鈥檚 awards demonstrate their dedication to this state every day through their work and their lives.鈥