Luria Young will speak at Hearts of Hope event

Dr. Luria Young, recently retired senior associate vice chancellor in the Southern University and A&M College, will be the guest speaker at the annual Hearts of Hope Foundation banquet at 4 p.m. Saturday at the St. Mary Senior Citizens Center on Chennault Street in Morgan City.
Tickets, which cost $25, will be available at the door.
Hearts of Hope raises money for Tri-City area residents who need help with funeral expenses.
The foundation will name its Citizen of the Year at the banquet.
The majority of Young’s professional career was spent at Southern University as the interim executive vice president and provost, interim vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management, interim dean of students, vice provost for academic affairs, interim dean of education, arts and humanities and superintendent of the Laboratory School, professor of science education, program administrator, and evaluations coordinator.
A native of the Tri-City area, Young served as a leader on several highly successful federally funded programs, including the Louis Stokes Louisiana Alliance for Minority Participation, Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, Project Modeling Inquiry Science Education Teacher Professional Development Initiative and the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory Science Education Center Outreach Partnership, totaling over forty million dollars in external funding.
Young earned a baccalaureate degree in biology from Southern University, a master’s degree and educational specialist certificate in science education from Louisiana State University and a doctorate degree in educational leadership, research and counseling from LSU.
Her research interests focus on the persistence of students in higher education, minority participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education and maximizing the potential of African American males.
Young and her husband, Merrick, are the owners of Living Solutions, a real estate investment company that promotes home ownership by providing quality, affordable housing for families; the Shaw Consulting Group, a multifaceted consulting firm; and the Believer’s Advantage, where they provide a platform for the Glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ to be proclaimed.
Young resides in Zachary with her husband and two sons, Michael and Merrick II, and near her daughter, Alaina; son-in-law, Samuel; and grandson, Samuel Jr.
Young lives by Luke 22:32: “I have prayed for you that your faith won’t fail. When you have returned, strengthen your brothers and sisters.”