Eddie Hebert accepted his first job in higher education at Southeastern in 1996 and anticipated he would be here a few years then move on. Twenty-four years later, he remains at the university he loves.
“I’m still here because it’s a great place to work,” he said. “And, I’ve had a few colleagues who, for various reasons, left Southeastern for another university and have told me, ‘The best job I ever had was at Southeastern.’”
A Professor of Kinesiology, Hebert was first attracted to Southeastern by its location in his home state of Louisiana, the reputation of the university, and the balance of teaching and research/scholarship expectations for faculty.
“I wasn’t interested in a university that valued research over all other faculty functions, nor a university that emphasized teaching and had no research expectations of faculty,” he said. “Hammond is a great town within driving distance of New Orleans and Baton Rouge. It has little traffic, good restaurants, and friendly people.”
The size of the university, not too big and not too small, the people he works with, and stable leadership at the top are additional aspects of what Hebert loves about his job. Although he now lives in Baton Rouge so his wife can be closer to her job, Hebert lived in the Hammond area for 18 years.
“The location of Southeastern in Hammond means that faculty and staff can choose to live in the small-town Hammond area or choose to live in bigger cities close by,” he explained. “Accepting a faculty position at Southeastern has turned out to be a great long-term career decision.”
