Lisa Hebert's Paws-itive Impact on Student Life
April 03, 2023
In the fall of 2019, Lisa Hebert, a distinguished instructor in communication studies, began her term as a campus Faculty in Residence and hasn’t looked back since.
Faculty in Residence Lisa Hebert talking with a student as she holds her dog Charlie.
“I’m going into my fifth year,” said Hebert. “It's a three-year commitment, but they gave me another year because I am having the time of my life!”
The Faculty in Residence program enhances student residential life by integrating faculty members and their families into the traditional living on-campus experience. Faculty live on campus, serve as mentors, meet students through social interactions, and develop hands-on programs for students to engage in.
Hebert, along with her 18-year-old dog, Charlie, started Yappy Hour - a set time for students to unwind, discuss academics, and decompress in an informal setting outside Hebert’s apartment in the Residential College Complex.
“Charlie has been this magnet that has made the job successful,” said Hebert. “You never know what kind of impact you have. My job here is to offer some sort of a support system, to be a presence without being a presence”.
When residents feel overwhelmed from the stress of college life, they find comfort in knowing they can stop by East Hall or find Charlie at events around campus. Students can even keep up with Charlie on social media. After Lisa saw how much students enjoyed online Charlie updates during the COVID-19 pandemic, she continued them as an unconventional way to continue fostering community on campus.
Yappy Hour and other programs like it are the epitome of the Faculty in Residence program and why it’s such an asset to LSU students.
Learn more about the Faculty in Residence program.