Chapter Spotlight: College of the Arts

The UL Lafayette Alumni Association has added a new alumni chapter for the College of the Arts, with Emily Girlinghouse ’13, ’16 serving as the chapter’s president.

Girlinghouse is a two-time graduate of the School of Architecture and Design at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. As an undergraduate student, she immersed herself in the architecture program and enjoyed the program’s trips to different architectural landmarks across the country. “We didn’t just talk about architecture and read about it in books. You really got to go out and experience it,” she said.

While working on her master’s degree at the University, she got involved with the Alumni Association. She was hired as the association’s graduate assistant and learned about the events, activities and engagement opportunities offered, including the work of the clubs and chapters. When she graduated, she transferred into a volunteer role and became the president of the former School of Architecture and Design Alumni Chapter.

After years leading the group, Girlinghouse gathered with Alumni Association staff to think of ways to grow the chapter to the next level. When everyone put their heads together, the solution made sense — change the chapter to focus on the entire College of the Arts. “We thought, why don’t we pull it all together and be inclusive of the entire college,” Girlinghouse said.

From there, the College of the Arts Alumni Chapter was born. The chapter hosted its first official event as a new group last year during Homecoming Week. This mixer was a success, and Girlinghouse hopes to offer more events focused on other programs within the college.

She’s also looking to grow her volunteer leadership team to better serve the entire College of the Arts alumni base. “I’m familiar with the School of Architecture and Design, but it would be more beneficial for us to have representation from each department. That way, we can throw events that best fit everyone across the board,” she said.

Ultimately, Girlinghouse is excited to grow a community of College of the Arts graduates in Acadiana and beyond. She is also passionate about eventually being able to offer scholarships from the chapter or donate gently used supplies to current College of the Arts students who may need them for their studies.

For more information on getting involved with the College of the Arts Alumni Chapter, contact Joelle Boudreaux at joelle.boudreaux@louisiana.edu. You can also update your contact information with the Alumni Association or connect with the College of the Arts Alumni Chapter on Facebook.

Photo Caption: College of the Arts Alumni Chapter President, Emily Girlinghouse, smiles with College of the Arts faculty and alumni at their networking event during Homecoming Week 2023. (Submitted)