The LSU School of Art is pleased to announce that A. J. Meek, professor emeritus of photography, has been selected as the Garrey Carruthers Distinguished Chair in the Honors Program at the University of New Mexico for the next academic year.

Meek is well known for his elegant platinum or silver gelatin contact prints made with an 8 x 20 banquet camera of landscapes in Louisiana and the American West. He has worked on a major documentary project to photograph the Civil War Battlefields, Cemeteries and Monuments, including the lesser known neglected sites, and has published three books depicting Civil War battlefields.

In his prolific career, Meek has also published several books, including: Clarence John Laughlin: Prophet Without Honor, a biography of the New Orleans photographer whom Meeks knew personally; Red Pepper Paradise: Avery Island, Louisiana, which depicts the mysteries and haunting beauty of Avery Island; and, The Gardens of Louisiana: Places of Work and Wonder, which depicts the many public and private gardens in the state.

In chairing the University Honors Program at New Mexico, Meeks joins a distinguished group of scholars from a variety of disciplines. These scholars are expected to teach in Honors but may also teach a course in a department that fits with their field. They are also expected to give a public lecture and be generally available to students and faculty.