Search Continues for Missing Lafayette Woman
Michaela “Mickey” Shunick went missing May 19 around 2 a.m. after leaving a friend’s residence on the 100 block of Ryan Street in Lafayette. Shunick was wearing a pastel, multi-colored striped shirt, light-wash skinny jeans and grey shoes. She is a white female with blonde hair, five-feet one-inch tall and weighing about 115 pounds. She was riding a black Schwinn bicycle with gold handle bar grips.
Lafayette Police found the bike May 27 below the I-10 Whiskey Bay Bridge at Exit 127. The bike was under water except for a small section of the frame. The bike’s back tire was also damaged.
On Wednesday, Lafayette Police re-examined the area with sonar.
Police have released pictures of three vehicles of interest on the Lafayette Police Department website – a white, newer model pickup truck with tinted windows and a bed cover; a white, four-door Chevrolet Z71; and an ’80s or ’90s four-door vehicle with body work on the right rear quarter panel.
Anyone with information regarding the disappearance of Schunick is encouraged to call the tip line at 337-291-8633.
Victim robbed at gun point near Pleasant Hall
 LSU Police responded to an on-campus robbery reported at 11 p.m. on May 29.
LSU Police Department spokesperson Cory Lalonde said the victim was walking between Pleasant Hall and the Student Union when a man approached and demanded the victim’s wallet and cellphone at gun point.
The suspect then entered a silver four-door vehicle believed to be a Honda or Acura. The car held other people and was last seen heading east toward Dalrymple Drive on Highland Road, Lalonde said.
Lalonde said this marked the second armed robbery of the year, and most crimes like this occur when criminals see a chance to get away with them.
“Most crimes we generally see on campus are crimes of opportunity,” he explained. “We strongly advise people not to walk alone at night.”
Lalonde suggested using transit or traveling in groups when walking through campus at late hours.
Frances Lawrence named associate dean of Business College
The E.J. Ourso College of Business named Finance Professor Frances Lawrence as associate dean on May 23.
Lawrence began her career at LSU in 1977 after earning her bachelor’s degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1970 and her Master’s degree and Ph.D. from Florida State University in 1975 and 1977, respectively. Once the decision takes effect June 8, she will be responsible for quality control efforts of curricula across disciplines.
“We are excited to have Fran join our leadership team,” said Interim Dean Richard White. “She brings a wealth of talent and energy that will help our college continue to move forward in the days ahead.”
School of the Coast and Environment adds two degree programs
The Board of Regents passed two proposed degree programs in its March 21 meeting, adding a Ph.D. of Philosophy in Environmental Science and a Master of Science in Coastal & Ecological Engineering to the curricula of the School of the Coast and Environment.
The Master of Science in Coastal & Ecological Engineering will be offered in conjunction with the College of Engineering. According to Christopher D’Elia, dean of the School of the Coast and Environment, the proposal and approval process began several years ago.
“We began the Ph.D. program in 2004, but because things tend to move slow in Louisiana, it didn’t get approved until recently,” D’Elia said. “The Master’s degree actually started in response to a cry for engineers that can deal with issues like coastal erosion and land loss from companies.”
Several construction projects currently under way on campus The following are key locations under construction, according to University Construction Manager Jerry Landry and Director of Planning Mary Miles.
Throughout the summer, multiple parking locations will be under construction. The on-campus parking garage located next to the Student Union is set to open sometime in July, while the new Women’s Center and the African American Cultural Center will re-open inside of the complex in late July as well. Barnes & Noble bookstore will move from the Union into the same space, and will open around December.  Other parking projects include the Horticulture Building parking renovation and West Chimes residential parking where the old softball stadium once stood, both of which will finish Aug. 4.
 Two buildings which comprise Residential College One, next to the University’s tennis courts, will finish construction around July 25. East Laville dorms are under interior renovation, which will finish around July 25. Similar renovations in Annie Boyd Hall will conclude around December, 2013.
 Tiger Stadium will also see more new improvements, including the addition of a west-side pedestrian concourse, which will include new decorative columns and fencing in place by late August.
 
____ Contact Joshua Bergeron at [email protected]. Contact Austen Krantz at [email protected].