The University of Louisiana at Lafayette will name a plaza on campus near Griffin Hall in memory of Carolyn Dural, the College of Liberal Arts’ assistant dean and an alumna who died in August 2020.
The University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors approved the “Carolyn Dural Plaza” on April 21. The plaza’s centerpiece will be the “Bending the Circle” sculpture. The large, aluminum sculpture of interlocking red hearts is intended to reflect the high, University-wide esteem in which Dural was held.
In a March 31 letter to the UL System, Dr. Joseph Savoie, UL Lafayette president, wrote that “Ms. Dural assisted countless students in achieving their dreams. She also taught hundreds of faculty advisors how to help their students succeed.”
“Carolyn put people first and had a passion for helping students in the best and most effective ways possible,” he added.
The College of Liberal Arts has established the “Carolyn Dural Memorial Fund.” The fund will support students participating in the University’s Study Abroad program in France and enable the creation of a faculty advising award. Both will be named for Dural.
“She was amazing. Everyone loved her and she left such an impression on everyone she encountered,” said Dr. Jordan Kellman, dean of the College of Liberal Arts.
Photo caption: The University of Louisiana at Lafayette will honor beloved assistant dean Carolyn Dural (left) by naming a plaza for her, and establishing a scholarship and an advising award in her name. A book filled with tributes and photos will also be published. Dural spent 25 years as a faculty member at the University, where she earned a reputation for tirelessly helping students and colleagues succeed. She died in August 2020.
