LSU College of Science Pursuit Annual Report

PURSUIT LSU College of Science

UNSEEN CAUSES OF ASTHMA

9 CAN WE BREAK THE INTERNET WITH QUANTUM TECHNOLOGY? | 36 THE ARTIST OF SURGERY

ANNUAL REPORT 2019

WH AT W I LL TH E N E XT ANTI B I OT I C BE?

Here in the LSU College of Science, we are answering the questions that matter to you.

Questions that impact your health.

Questions that impact the world we live in — and the worlds beyond.

Questions that spark your sense of adventure.

These are the challenges we pursue.

And we don’t mind difficult.

In fact, we on it.

thrive

We know the most valuable discoveries can come from the most unexpected places.

We are driven to find the answers because science is everywhere.

We all have the power to achieve extraordinary things.

This is the LSU College of Science.

YOUR QUESTION NEXT.

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INSIDE: 10

What are the unseen causes of asthma?

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Louisiana Impact: LSU scientists make our state stronger

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How can we stop the diabetes epidemic?

Fierce for science

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LSU researcher Mario Rivera and his team’s bacteria studies may open the door to improving your family’s health.

WHAT W IL L T HE NEXT ANTI BI OT IC BE ?

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The development of penicillin in the 1920s revolutionized medicine, and the 1950s explosion in new antibiotic discoveries marked a giant leap forward. But the discovery of new antibiotics has stalled in the last three decades, while bacteria continue developing resistance to existing antibiotics.

Now LSU scientists are disrupting the metabolism of bacteria in an effort to open the door to new antibiotics.

As Professor and inaugural William A. Pryor Chair in Chemistry, Mario Rivera helps drive LSU’s collaboration between scientific disciplines. Focused on the interface of chemistry and biology, his team works to help combat disease by conducting studies aimed at gaining detailed understanding of chemical and biological processes at the molecular level.

Why the slowdown?

During the golden era of discovery, antibiotics were often obtained from bacterial cultures, but that source of discoveries has dwindled, Rivera said. Pharmaceutical companies have attempted to develop new antibiotics— with limited success—and several newer antibiotics are mainly derivatives of existing ones.

Today there’s a pressing need for new antibiotics as bacteria—especially hospital-dwelling superbugs—grow resistant to the trusted drugs of the past.

And because antibiotics are usually taken for a limited timeframe before “getting well,” they don’t have the profit potential of other drugs that people take all their lives.

“It’s really a perfect storm,” Rivera said, “of a difficult problem with very little promise for making a lot of money. That has been left, then, mostly to people in academia and small startups.”

The world doesn’t just need new antibiotics, Rivera said. It also needs new targets to develop new drugs.

“When we talk about a target, we’re

saying, What does the antibiotic affect in the bacterial cell? How does it kill the bacterial cell?” he said. “Most antibiotics affect a narrow number of targets, so we need to understand other biological processes that can be new targets for the new antibiotics.”

A new strategy

With an eye toward developing the next antibiotic, Rivera’s cross-disciplinary research team is testing a new strategy to fight bacteria. Specifically, the group is trying to demonstrate that dysregulating the iron balance by breaking specific protein-to-protein interactions in the bacterial cell will disarm bacteria. The LSU team is focused on this core research question: Is bacterial iron homeostasis a good target to develop future antibiotics?

Ironing out the science

People, plants, animals, bacteria: Almost every organism on the planet demands iron to live.

In humans, for example, iron helps power essential physiological processes.

Transporting oxygen through our blood uses hemoglobin, an iron-containing protein. Even the act of breathing – conveting oxgen and producing energy – requires proteins that contain iron.

“Iron is essential,” Rivera said. “And in the same way that it’s essential for humans, it’s also essential for pathogens.”

WHAT’S THE SCIENCE?

Why concentrate on new antibiotics? In a word, superbugs.

In medicine’s early days, “normal” procedures we take for granted today weren’t possible. A tiny cut on a patient could cause a life-ending infection.

“The advent of antibiotics changed all that,” Rivera said. “It became possible to do major surgery, organ transplantation, cancer chemotherapy, you name it.”

The problem today is that certain bacteria have evolved a resistance that renders them unkillable by current antibiotics. When you check into the hospital for even a minor procedure, you might contract an antibiotic-resistant superbug that’s expensive to treat— and that you may not outlive.

“The cost to society in terms of dollars is very high,” Rivera said. “But the real cost is loss of life.”

Nutritional immunity

In order to thrive, pathogens like the Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria Rivera is studying have to meet their own

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“If we can validate this as a new possible antibiotic target, it would open the door to the discovery of completely novel antibiotics.”

DR. MARIO RIVERA

William A. Pryor Chair LSU Department of Chemistry

This balanced state is called bacterial iron homeostasis. Iron concentrations are at the right levels for the bacteria to thrive. Not too little, not too much.

Bacteria produce molecules known as bacterioferritin (BfrB) that store iron in an internal cavity. The stockpiled iron can become a source of nutrients for the cell, but only after mobilized from that cavity.

Before it can move outside the cavity, the iron must be converted from iron(III)— known as Fe3+ (an Fe atom missing three electrons)—to iron(II)—known as Fe2+ (an iron atom missing two electrons). To make that conversion, a small protein (Bfd) binds very specifically to the large bacterioferritin, and that allows electrons to flow into the bacterioferritin cavity and convert iron(III) into iron(II).

The vision for new antibiotics

nutritional requirements. That means an appetite for iron.

But the body’s immune system, recognizing the bacteria as an invader, works in conjunction with other proteins to limit the amount of free iron available.

By utilizing nutritional immunity, an ancient process of our immune system, our bodies naturally try to deprive pathogens of the iron they need to live.

“The immune system will try to starve the invading pathogens,” he said. “That’s how the body very effectively prevents bacteria from growing rapidly in us.”

So how does the body put up a fight?

Certain molecules and proteins bind the free iron very tightly so that pathogens can’t take it.

This immune system action sounds foolproof. But if the iron-hoarding

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process was a perfect deterrent, there would be no diseases. Instead, pathogens have evolved mechanisms to declare chemical war on the immune system.

“The bacteria make molecules of their own to fight for the iron,” he said. “It’s really a contested war. One side is trying to prevent the other from getting the iron.”

When the immune system prevails, iron-hungry bacteria starve. But when bacteria win by bringing in iron, they’re able to grow and cause infections.

Bacterial iron homeostasis

Although iron is an essential nutrient for the bacteria, too much can be toxic.

The sophisticated internal machinery of the bacteria constantly regulates iron concentrations—bringing it in, utilizing it as needed.

The LSU team is trying to develop small molecules that could—in the longterm—become potential new antibiotics.

These molecules are meant to block the interaction between the Bfd protein and the bacterioferritin.

Early evidence shows that tinkering with the homeostasis of iron makes the bacteria less “fit,” a term that describes its ability to survive in a hostile environment like the body’s immune system. Dysregulating the usual metabolism of iron makes the bacteria weaker and more susceptible to stress.

“We think that we can actually uncover weaknesses in the bacteria’s metabolism that make it more susceptible—and then unable to thrive in a mammal,” he said.

Looking ahead, moving forward

So what’s the next step? Rivera says there’s no “next thing.” His science never stops.

“It’s a continuous process,” he said. “We’re

developing a rigorous understanding and validation of the biochemistry and biology of iron homeostasis in bacteria.”

With a more profound understanding, LSU scientists at the nexus of chemistry and biology may discover other proteins that can be used to develop new molecules that might become the next antibiotics.

And because bacteria won’t be resistant to them yet, these new antibiotics could be game changers for worldwide health.

“No patient has taken antibiotics that target a specific process of iron homeostasis yet,” Rivera said. “This would be basically a new source of antibiotics that can be used—for a period—to really combat bacteria that have developed resistance to other antibiotics.

“If we can validate this as a new possible antibiotic target, it would open the door to the discovery of completely novel antibiotics,” he said. “And that hopefully will contribute to saving lives.”

Q How does nutritional immunity work?

A: Nutritional immunity is an ancient process of our immune system. In the context of Rivera’s research, the body’s immune system sees P. aeruginosa bacteria as an invader, then works to starve the bacteria of the iron it needs to live. In a nutshell, molecules and proteins bind the iron so tightly that the bacteria can’t take it.

What is bacterial homeostasis?

A: Iron is an essential nutrient for the bacteria, but too much can be toxic. Homeostasis is the balanced state when iron concentrations are at ideal levels for the bacteria to thrive. Bacteria’s sophisticated internal machinery constantly brings iron in and uses it as needed. Rivera’s team tampers with the state of homeostasis to see how that weakens the bacteria.

IN THE LAB

Emily Cambre is not your ordinary 20-year-old LSU student. The junior undergraduate balances her time between studying the microscopic world of bacteria and the human psyche as a double major in chemistry and psychology.

Emily has spent the past several months as part of the Rivera Research Group, working in LSU chemistry professor Mario Rivera’s lab. Emily was recently featured on the LSU College of Science blog, The Pursuit, where she shared her lab experience and her inspiration for pursuing a degree in chemistry. A snippet of the Q&A with Emily is below.

CoS: What has it been like working in a lab on such serious science projects as an undergraduate?

Emily: A typical day in the lab starts at 11:30 a.m. for me. I come in and get it all ready. The person I’m paired with right now is Achala. She’s a graduate assistant. She’s amazing. We work together to perform some of the techniques in order to analyze the different bacteria we’re studying in the lab. I’m currently working on gel electrophoresis, which is just like studying the protein as it’s unfolded, and staining it to see which proteins are there.

CoS: You have an interesting combination of majors. What were your reasons for choosing to pursue psychology as a second major?

Visit lsuscienceblog.com

Emily Cambre breaks down how LSU researchers in the Rivera Lab are fighting antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

Emily: My dad has bipolar disorder. Growing up with that, it was a different family household. He was diagnosed when I was 15. It’s one of those things where… if I could help one person, I’d want it to be my family. I wouldn’t be the person I am, or even be in college, if it weren’t for my dad. He really stressed the importance of education to me. I’m the youngest of four, and I’m the only one who is going to go to college and get a degree. So… thanks dad!

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RESEARCH

RULES O F E XP LO R ATION How are we preparing to explore ecosystems on other planets?

Peter Doran, John Franks Chair in LSU’s Department of Geology & Geophysics and veteran of more than 20 expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctica, is taking his expertise in studying icy environments to develop policies that could protect us against possible contamination from solar system exploration.

In 2018, Doran became a member of the international Panel for Planetary Protections (PPP), a group responsible for developing policies and procedures to govern outer planetary exploration. Doran’s decades of Arctic research made his PPP membership possible.

His research focuses on modern hydrological and biogeochemical processes in polar lake systems like Antarctica’s Dry Valleys, a row of largely snow-free valleys with an ecosystem similar to Mars.

A number of private organizations are gearing up for human missions to Mars, but Doran warns that they may not be as concerned about the science.

“This is an exciting time for Mars exploration, but we do not have rules in place to protect against contamination,” said Doran. “This is about protecting the science and protecting humans.”

The role of the PPP is to set guidelines to thwart any negative impact of outer planetary missions, including possible effects of contamination of planets other than the Earth; of planetary satellites within the solar system by terrestrial organisms; and of contamination of the Earth by materials returned from outer space carrying potential extraterrestrial organisms.

LIP TO N AWA R D ED $1 MILL I O N M UR I GRANT Robert Lipton, Nicholson Professor in LSU’s Department of Mathematics, and researchers at the California Institute of Technology, University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University are collaborating on research that will help increase understanding of continuum mechanics of granular materials from the macroscopic scale to microscopic scale.

This research is funded by a highly competitive Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) grant awarded by the Army Research Office within the U.S. Department of Defense. Lipton will receive $1 million of the total $5 million grant over five years.

This research will attempt to bridge the gap between microscopic and macroscopic particles in continuum, and the sheering

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effect of forces being applied to those particles.

“Understanding the macroscopic effects of loads due to vehicles or fissures in geological materials, such as the San Andres fault, and applying forces to these things changes the geometry of the particles, it changes the relative spacing, but it can also crush the particles,” Lipton said.

As time progresses, Lipton’s work will morph from understanding simple grain geometry on elastic properties at the continuum level to more complicated shapes and inelastic properties, as well as what is the critical load for sheer based on the shapes and morphology of particles at the microscale, and the force applied.

The impact of Dr. Lipton’s research will be seen in better earthquake prediction, as well as civil engineering improvements.

UNDERGRADUATE RECOGNITION The LSU Discover Undergraduate Research Program launched the Distinguished Undergraduate Research Award. This designation recognizes the achievements of outstanding undergraduates who participate in a track of educational and research activities leading to a final and public presentation or publication of a faculty-mentored undergraduate scholarly project. Ten College of Science students were recognized among the 2019 inaugural class.

Michael Brands Biological Sciences

Ryan Hoffman Biological Sciences

Sarah Cohen Biochemistry and Sociology

Tabitha Kearns Biological Sciences

Joseph DeCorte Biochemistry

Jeffrey Lemoine Computer Science and Biochemistry

Amber DePoy Microbiology

Corey St. Romain Biological Sciences

Logan Hart Mathematics

Sadie Thompson Biological Sciences

RESEARCH FUNDING

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MILLION +

The LSU College of Science receives more than $28 million in research funding each year. More than 60 percent of this support comes from federal funding agencies, including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense.

CAN WE BREAK T HE I NTERN E T W ITH QUAN T UM TECHNO LO GY ?

Teleportation — the theoretical transfer of matter or energy from one point to another without moving through physical space — is a staple of the science fiction realm. But in the world of quantum physics, it’s now becoming a reality.

In 2017, a group of Chinese scientists not only managed to beam the quantum state of an entangled photon into orbit, but they also showed that one can build a practical system for long-distance quantum communications.

These particles jumping through space conjured up questions from wide-eyed sci-fi fanatics back on Earth: Could Star Trek transporters be far behind? Not necessarily — this real-world trick, called quantum teleportation, probably won’t ever send your body from one place to another. It’s essentially a super-secure data transfer, which is tough to do with the jumble of code that makes us human.

“Teleportation…no it’s not exactly like Star Trek,” joked Jonathan Dowling, the Hearne Chair of Theoretical Physics at LSU and an expert on quantum sensing. “We don’t have the ability to teleport human beings yet, but we can teleport photons, and that’s something.”

Most recently, LSU received a special invitation to the White House on Friday, May 31, for an academic roundtable on innovation in quantum information science, or QIS. But Dowling has worked with quantum technologies for years, watching the technology evolve from theory to reality. In 2018, the physicist and his colleagues received a multi-million-dollar National

LSU quantum physicists Jonathan Dowling and Ward Plummer

Science Foundation grant that would enable them to develop ways to share quantum information through photonic integrated circuits, which encode information on light particles rather than electricity.

“The most resource-efficient method to move quantum data around is to teleport it,” Dowling said, “And the way we do that is through light. Photons have a polarization, which means you can polarize the photons horizontally or vertically to block out certain types of light.”

A quantum network would be an almost 100 percent secured communications grid, and no one without access would be able to hack it. If someone did gain access, it would immediately be obvious. Therefore, such a communication system would be impossible to eavesdrop on without alerting the users, which would make online communications much more secure.

And the way we achieve that is through entangled light particles.

Two entangled particles behave like a pair of twins, regardless of the real distance. If the property of a particle is determined by a measurement, the quantum state of the partner particle is also determined immediately. If someone were to mess with one particle, the other would immediately react, disrupting the connection.

This would create an un-hackable internet.

But because the shift in technological advances is happening so quickly, Dowling and his students are working to develop a protocol by analyzing quantum computers and quantum networks and put restrictions on the rate and efficiency of data transfer.

“What are the different protocol areas we need to examine?” he questioned.

“Teleportation is one because that is a key mechanism for routing information around the Internet. Security and distributing quantum computing are others.”

So what does this mean for the future?

“I’d predict that within the next ten years, we will have a computer that no classical computer, all the classical computers on earth, or in the universe, can simulate what it is doing,” he said.

A GATHERING OF QUANTUM EXPERTS In February, Dowling and Ward Plummer, LSU Boyd Professor of Physics and renowned expert on quantum materials, gathered scholars from across the U.S. for a two-day workshop at the LSU Center for Computation and Technology to map local and national expertise and build relationships for various research projects in the ongoing Quantum Race.

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LSU’s Stephania Cormier leads an effort to identify the culprits that take our breath away.

WHAT AR E T HE UNSE E N CAUSES O F AST HMA ?

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As a young woman, she loved sports, especially basketball. She started as a center—a head above her peers in sixth grade.

She ended as a guard— a head below as a high schooler. But throughout, she had difficulty competing because she couldn’t stop coughing.

Her end game: sidelined, frustrated and huffing into a paper bag.

“Back then, asthma wasn’t adequately diagnosed,” said Stephania Cormier. “Doctors put people on antibiotics with all of their side effects.”

Cormier had to wait for relief until college, when she visited a pulmonologist in Lafayette. He prescribed an inhaler, the first medication that actually addressed the symptoms of her newly diagnosed disease: asthma.

Fast forward to today, Cormier is the Wiener Chair in LSU’s Department of Biological Sciences where she heads up a portfolio of biomedical research that scrutinizes asthma’s non-genetic causes and looks ahead to potential cures.

Cormier is also a professor of comparative biomedical sciences at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine.

“Asthma is controlled and controllable right now, but we can’t get rid of it,” she said. “I want to know how it happens. If we know that, then we can stop it.”

The breathless search

The shortness of breath associated

with asthma attacks happens because airways have swelled and constricted. If you have a family history of asthma, you have a greater risk of developing the disease. That’s the genetic risk.

However, lung tissue damage as a result of pollution or illness plays a factor in many asthma cases. That’s where Cormier focuses: What causes asthma besides genetics?

Cormier and her team of researchers probe the role of epithelial tissue damage due to respiratory viruses and pollutants.

Epithelial tissue includes cilia, the hair-like structures that sweep away harmful particles. When this tissue and the cilia become damaged, the body’s exposure to harmful disease—specifically asthma—increases.

Triggers for an attack can vary widely, ranging from cold air and physical activity to food allergies and airborne irritants. While asthma currently has no cure, both maintenance medications and “rescue inhalers” can control the frequency of asthma attacks.

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Her exploration of pollution includes joint research projects conducted through LSU’s Superfund Research Center, where she serves as director. The center focuses on how environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs)—the pollutant particles found in hazardous waste cleanup or containment sites—form and how to mitigate their impact.

“Our research supports a greater understanding of the relationship between lung health and pollution. Outside of the world of science it pushes regulations that aim to reform the environmental impact of polluting industries,” said biological sciences major Felix Harrison, an LSU student who serves as a research assistant in Cormier’s lab.

Hold your breath?

“Asthma is controlled and controllable right now, but we can’t get rid of it. I want to know how it happens.

If we know that, then we can stop it.”

DR. STPEHANIA CORMIER

Wiener Chair, LSU Department of Biological Sciences and director, LSU Superfund Research Center

Baby’s breath

While her personal diagnosis certainly adds a sense of urgency for her current research, Cormier didn’t originally plan to delve into the asthma field. Her postdoctoral fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona centered on a staff physician’s project with chondrocytes, the cells found in cartilage tissue. However, when that researcher left Mayo, she had to find another sponsor. Luck, fate—or whatever you want to call it—intervened.

“The guy across the hall was working on asthma,” she laughed, explaining how she suddenly switched to a new, but familiar, research path.

With her new supervisor across the hall, she studied the history of respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV, and its links to asthma. Cormier learned about the tragic

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history of a 1960s vaccination trial against RSV that resulted in the hospitalization of 80 percent of participants and the death of two babies.

Where others saw a failure in the chemistry of the vaccine, she saw an opportunity to re-examine the vaccine recipients.

“They were studying the wrong models,” she said, referring to that vaccine’s development based on the way an adult body functions and responds to illness.

“You can’t study an infant disease in an adult. Infants are not fully developed.

They’re so susceptible.”

Since then, her collaborations with scientists across LSU and at the University of Tennessee Health Center have uncovered the reasons why assaults on the infant immune and lung systems because of RSV and pollution often have lifelong health effects.

While Cormier and her team search for the vaccines and medications that will cure the non-genetic causes of asthma, there are several ways that average people can reduce their risk.

Research has found that infants are less likely to get sick if they are breastfed and if their caregivers wash hands frequently.

The microbiomes passed from mother to child via vaginal delivery also help to protect babies.

To avoid EPFRs, stay away from major roadways and other known sources of pollution. You should also wear a mask on high-pollution days. The good news is that the Louisiana diet—blueberries, pecans, red beans—is rich with antioxidants, which protect against pollution’s damage. “Red beans and rice on Mondays. So far that’s the best we can do,” Cormier said. Her lab is examining how to isolate the protective antioxidant properties found in these foods to create medicinal supplements that can make a difference.

Breathe easier

According to data from the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute, the average human would live 2.6 years more if deadly pollutants were eradicated. In the United States, the average resident loses less than 1 year of life to pollution. But scientists like Cormier seek ways to bring that number to 0.

“Research work is a long, timeconsuming process, and you naturally want results as soon as you can get them,” said biological science major Alexander Scotty, another LSU student who works with Cormier. “It’s rarely that simple, and you have to hope you can find a piece of the puzzle that will make it easier for yourself—or someone else—in the future.”

IN REVIEW

More species discoveries, a newly-renovated space for science scholars, and an expedition to Bangladesh— these are some highlights from two years in the life of the LSU College of Science.

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RENOVATION

TOP STUDENTS

44 UNIVERSITY MEDALISTS (MAY 2019)

Out of the 170 graduates that received the University Medal in May, 44 were from the College of Science. The University Medal is LSU’s highest academic honor awarded to undergraduate students who earned the highest GPA.

College of Science sophomore Jack Green was named a 2019 Goldwater Scholar, one of the most prestigious undergraduate awards given to students in STEM disciplines.

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE DEGREES AWARDED (2017-2018)

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UNDERGRADUATE

108 GRADUATE

First-year students can immerse themselves in a supportive, science focused environment by living in the newly renovated Science Residential College (SRC) in Evangeline Hall. Renovations include a tutor room, 2nd floor library, and study rooms on each floor. The basement also houses a state-of-the-art classroom with ample space for multimedia presentations and a computer lab.

The SRC has already outgrown its new home. In the 2018-2019 school year, there were 148 spots in Evangeline with overflow into West Laville Hall for female students.

For the 2019-2020 school year, the SRC capacity is 186 total students with overflow into Annie Boyd Hall.

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SRC STUDENTS (2017)

SCHOLARSHIPS

170

SRC STUDENTS (2018)

DISCOVERY

341 BIOS STUDENTS

Before the fall 2018 semester began, a group of 341 incoming freshman got a taste of what it would be like to be a Tiger. The Biology Intensive Orientation for Students (BIOS) and CHEMIS are one-week intensive orientation programs for incoming biological sciences and chemistry students. This past year, the College of Science Dean’s Circle (DC) contributed $16,425 in scholarships for students with financial need to participate in the programs. Since 2015, the DC has awarded more than $60,000 in scholarships to BIOS participants.

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$16 K+

DEAN’S CIRCLE SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED TO STUDENTS WITH FINANCIAL NEED (2017-2018)

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SPECIES DISCOVERED (2006-2019)

The LSU Museum of Natural Science has discovered 17 new species between 2017 and 2019 contributing to the more than 130 new species of fish, reptiles and amphibians, birds, mammals, and parasites discovered by museum faculty and students since 2006. The most recent discovery was a drab brown bird called the Cream-vented Bulbul found by PhD student Subir Shakya and Museum Curator of Genetic Resources Fred Sheldon. The bird can be found from southern Thailand to Sumatra, Java and Borneo.

INNOVATOR

Q What is a delta and how is sediment involved?

Dr. Carol Wilson: A delta is the area where a river is discharging into an ocean basin. Rivers carry loads of sediment from upland areas such as mountains.

Ultimately, they build new landscapes right at the ocean.

RESEARCH ABROAD

HOW DO WE MITIGATE THE IMPACT OF SEVERE STORMS ON THE GANGES-BRAHMAPUTRA DELTA? As an ecogeomorphologist, Assistant Professor of Deltaic Wetland Sedimentology and Geomorphology Carol Wilson is interested in river systems, from how they move to how they build and feed wetlands and can be both life-giving and destructive forces. Wilson has taken her interests to southern Bangladesh to study the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta and its sustainability for those living near the delta.

Being one of the most densely populated river deltas in the world, the area is at risk for sea-level rise, storms and flooding from major river events during the monsoon season. Like Louisiana, the people who live near the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta have built levees to prevent the river from flooding their

homes and land; however, there are repercussions to them. “Most of the land in the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta is now lower in elevation due to the levees, where natural sediment is not building up those,” explained Wilson. “This potentially puts people living in this area at risk.”

A major part of Dr. Wilson and her team’s research is trying to understand the dynamics of the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta, particularly where the sediment is going in the system.

“I’m trying to answer questions such as, is there enough sediment in the system to be able to build up land at a pace that is sustainable with sea-level rise and other deltaic processes,” explained Wilson. “We are also

looking at elevation changes and subsidence in the area, which is the natural lowering of the land surface.”

Wilson, along with geologists, engineers, hydrologists and sociologists from the United States and Bangladesh, are working together to understand the dynamics of the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta system, including how the river is migrating, how salinity is impacting where people are living and how human migration is being impacted by either salinity stress or storm surge risk. “It’s really exciting to be on the ground right now as part of this team, working to understand how sustainable the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta is and what practices might make it more sustainable for people living in the area.”

We see that almost all rivers, if there’s enough sediment load, create deltas. The problem is that humans have altered rivers’ sediment loads with the construction of dams further upstream.

Dams divert or stop the natural flow of sediment down the river. We’ve also put levees up on our lower delta plains to prevent flooding. Unfortunately, this has created an imbalance.

Land surfaces that are naturally lowering have no new sediment coming in to compensate for the land loss.

A river moves around over time, creating the quintessential delta shape.

The movement of rivers across a landscape can also produce a cut off. A meander loop in a river can get cut off over time as the river moves.

There are several places where we can see this naturally. For example, False River in Louisiana, which is a lake presently, used to be a very large meander bend in the Mississippi River that naturally got cut off a few hundred years ago.

APPROXIMATELY

2,000

LSU SCIENCE STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF ARE INVOLVED IN RESEARCH EVERY DAY

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LSU researcher Jackie Stephens and an interdisciplinary team explore a fat chance at progress against this killer disease

H OW CA N W E STOP T HE DIA BETES E PIDEMI C ?

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“In science, you do tons of things that don’t work. In nine out of 10 experiments, we don’t get an innovative result.”

This simple truth expressed by biomedical researcher Jackie Stephens reveals why killer conditions such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes continue to thrive. But Stephens and visionary scientists like her remain undaunted in the search for cures.

Over the course of more than 25 years, Stephens’ research has explored the links between type 2 diabetes and obesity. Now she’s assembled a lab team looking to dissect the ways that fat, known as “adipose tissue,” can help or harm those suffering from metabolic diseases like diabetes that result from abnormal chemical reactions in the body.

She compares the pursuit to end these diseases to the building of a cathedral, with each researcher adding another brick to the foundation—and ultimately reaching greater and greater heights.

“On a day-to-day basis it’s not that thrilling,” she said. “But I do have a few times in my life where I have found new knowledge.”

Joining Stephens in the lab are senior scientist Allison Richard, research associates, postdoc fellows, PhD candidates and undergraduates from LSU. This diverse array of scientific perspectives helps surface new hypotheses and approaches to answering the core research question: How do fat cells predispose you and protect you against metabolic diseases?

Can fat cells be good for you?

Dr. Jackie Stephens: Fat has good qualities, too!

Stephens and her team isolate specific types of “good” fat that seem to protect against diabetes.

Researchers manipulate mouse DNA to reproduce these good fat cells, then watch to see how modified fat tissue impacts a mouse’s overall health. A recent study revealed that when mice modified genetically to include “bad” fat ate the same low-fat diet as nonmodified, “normal” mice, the modified mice stayed fat, while the control group lost weight.

Dr. Jackie Stephens in her laboratory at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center

In the beginning

Stephens got her start examining the biochemistry of fat while a graduate student at East Carolina University in the late 1980s.

She now serves in dual appointments as a professor in the College of Science and as the Claude B. Pennington Jr. Endowed Chair in Biomedical Research at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at LSU. Her work has been supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the primary federal agency that supports research with potential for medical breakthroughs.

Diabetes 101

People with type 2 diabetes can’t regulate their blood sugar (otherwise known as glucose), which can result in high blood sugar levels. In healthy bodies, the pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that signals cells to absorb glucose, which provides vital energy to those cells. Excess blood sugar is taken up by fat tissue and muscle.

Type 2 diabetics develop what is called insulin resistance, which means their body doesn’t understand how to use insulin. The longterm effects damage kidneys, eyes, nerves and hearts.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 100 million Americans have been diagnosed with diabetes or exhibit pre-diabetic symptoms. That’s almost 1 in 3 people. Louisiana and the rest of the Deep South see rates that far outpace the national average.

Back to nature

Stephens co-directs the Botanical Research Center at Pennington, a campus at LSU that focuses on chronic diseases and improved health for Louisianans. Co-directed by Beth Floyd, the botanical research center is one of three NIH-funded centers in the United States and an international leader in the study of the effectiveness and safety of plant-based “natural” medicinals as they relate to metabolic disease.

“This is a critical area of research,” Stephens said. “These extracts aren’t FDA controlled. Billions of dollars are spent on supplements and when you test them, they don’t even contain what they claim!”

One plant with potential is Artemisia scoparia. After treating animals with type 2 diabetes with the plant’s extract, researchers observed marked improvements in the regulation of insulin and blood sugar.

The next step is the pharmaceutical development of the properties found in compounds like this to prove their viability in wide-scale human treatment.

Building a better mousetrap

As he explored his options for work after completing his PhD at LSU’s School of Kinesiology, Tim Allerton recognized the

opportunity of an unexpected partnership with Stephens in her lab. “I was looking for a mentor who had a strong background that wasn’t my background,” he said.

Stephens agreed: “When Tim applied to my lab, it was perfect timing! I really want to know more about exercise—not just its impact on the heart and brain, but also on fat tissue.”

Allerton’s dissertation research laid the foundation for his contribution to the lab. Then he examined the impact of high-intensity exercise on metabolic flexibility. His data showed that bouts of vigorous exercise provide a 2-day halo of positive protein signaling by fat cells. Fat cells and blood sugar both remained lower for those who exercised. Allerton plans to continue exploring this line of inquiry.

One question leads to another

A recent set of experiments zeroed in on the relationship of exercise to fat and diabetes. One group of mice ran regularly on the running wheel in their enclosure, while a second group received no opportunity to exercise and remained sedentary. After 10 days, the team transplanted fat pads from both groups to a completely different group of diabetic mice. The diabetic mice that received fat-pads from the exercise group were cured. Fat pads from sedentary mice had no effect.

Intrigued by these findings, the wider team has continued to use mouse models and genetic modification to observe the behavior of specific molecules within fat tissue. While running an experiment focused on an unrelated hypothesis, they discovered a relationship between a genetic modification and inability to lose weight. In this model, two groups of mice receive the same low-fat diet. The genetically modified mice stay obese despite the diet, while the normal mice lose weight. “We still need to figure out what’s going on at the molecular level,” Stephens said.

The team has also embarked on a series of experiments with biologist Ursula White, who heads another lab at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, to examine the lifespan of fat cells and how often they renew, divide or die off.

“Will we cure type 2 diabetes? No, not in my lifetime,” Stephens said.

Stephens sees her research as building biomedical knowledge that started long before her work and will continue long after she retires.

But she and her team relentlessly push forward and upward— brick by brick—looking for new possibilities to solve the biochemical puzzle of diabetes.

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H OW CAN 3D PRINTI NG SAVE LIVE S? Harnessing the Powers of 3D Technology in the Fight Against Cancer For the past several years, the revolutionary technology of 3D printing has rooted itself into multiple trades across the board, and the medical world was no exception. While the use of 3D printing is not exactly new to the industry, LSU researchers have discovered a way to implement the technology beyond the typical 3D-printed prostheses and devices.

Led by Wayne Newhauser, Charles D. Smith Chair of Medical Physics and director of medical and health physics in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, the medical physics research team is making strides in creating better imaging phantoms—models used as patient dummies when figuring out treatments and dosages—to treat cancer patients.

“3D printing is one of those transformative technologies that will revolutionize entire industries,” said Newhauser. “As medical physicists, we are the ones who are typically charged with developing new technologies, translating them into clinical uses, and making sure they are safe and efficient. So, we kind of knew what was needed and where some of the current tools could essentially be improved.”

Achieving treatment perfection

over the course of two decades, cancer treatment and radiation therapy in particular, which is the delivery of high-energy beams or particles to kill cancer cells, have evolved to be more precise in targeting cancer cells. But there are still a number of cases where patients may be missing certain organs or other body parts. For patients in these circumstances, radiation therapy needs to be even more exact or the treatment may kill vital cells and tissues when trying to hit cancer cells.

One of the ways doctors have continued to perfect radiation therapy is through phantoms. These 3D models simulate a part of the body like the head, torso, or even a full-body model, and effectively serve as a testing dummy for doctors looking to calculate the correct radiation dose and placement before administering the treatment to a live patient. However, the problem, Newhauser noted, is these phantoms are based off of generically replicated body types and do not usually reflect specific patients who may have unusual cases.

When Netflix inspires

Like many historically great inventors, Newhauser happened upon an idea by chance. In 2012, Netflix hosted a documentary that focused around the rapidly growing technology of 3D printing. It was around this time when the accuracy of 3D printing had improved and the price of 3D printers had rapidly fallen, making it more accessible to the general public.

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“3D printing is one of those transformative technologies that will revolutionize entire industries.”

DR. WAYNE NEWHAUSER Dr. Charles M. Smith Chair of Medical Physics and director of medical and health physics

Newhauser, an avid fan of documentaries, watched with complete curiosity. Then, the thoughts began to flow.

“I thought, ‘Wow, I don’t know what we would use that for, but that’s really transformative. We’ve got to get one of those printers and start playing with it,” he said.

Newhauser used start-up funds to purchase a basic printer, which ran for several thousand dollars at the time, and began experimenting with printing small objects. His researchers eventually knew enough to develop a set of printing instructions from an anonymous CT scan. Now, the team is capable of printing life-sized phantoms from full-body scans, replicating that specific patient.

Changing the game

The key to producing this more expansive type of guide for medical professionals is in the CT scan. When a scan is performed, rather than using a more generic form of a CT scan, the scan can be converted from a two-dimensional form into one of three dimensions. This gives doctors even more precise information about the individual, which allows for an even more direct chemotherapy treatment. Such patient-specific models also allow patients who are more fragile to be treated in a delicate manner in terms of delivering radiation to kill cancer cells.

With 3D printing, medical professionals and technicians are able to take charge of creating such models themselves in many cases too—affordably, quickly, and with the ability to make changes as needed without having to go through a middleman, taking up more time and expense.

“Radiation therapy is very safe and very effective, but there are some cases where we know that (radiation therapy) struggles,” Newhauser said.

Currently, the team uses a 3D printer housed in Atkinson Hall that is capable of printing 4 cubic meters at a time. With the science in place, the next step is the clinic.

“The short-term goal is to show that it’s feasible to do this,” Newhauser said. “Everyone has known since (the) get-go that in theory it ought to work, but there’s quite a difference between being able to recognize that it will work and being able to demonstrate that it will work. Our goal is to print a whole body, a 3D personalized phantom that mimics the properties of an actual patient.”

Once the team has finished testing their 3D printed phantoms, their end objective is to find a company, preferably in Louisiana, that will be able to manufacture the models so that medical professionals—and patients—around the world can reap the benefits of its detailed care.

L S U C HEMIST EAR NS N I H AWA RD TO CREATE N EW CL AS S OF MEDIC IN E S Drugs like Hepatitis C’s treatment sofosbuvir, antihypertensive lisinopril or asthma drug fluticasone have a few things in common: They are heavily functionalized, have at least one ring structure and some unprotected amines or alcohols, and often a scattering of fluorine atoms.

So why do these drugs, like so many, have structural similarities but don’t treat the same illnesses? The answer lies in organic chemistry — the foundation for life, according to LSU associate professor and organic chemist Rendy Kartika.

It’s analyzing and synthetically creating new molecular structures that earned Kartika a prestigious National Institute of Health Research Project Grant (R01) totaling $1.4 million. Rather than taking older drugs’ molecular structures and reinventing them for current medicinal purposes, Kartika and his team of students will explore and develop new structures, which will eventually result in a new class of medicines.

“Organic chemistry is the frontline in biomedical research,” Kartika said. “We’re developing new organic reactions that produce new types of molecular structures, and we’re hoping that these structures can exhibit or can be used as potentially new therapeutic agents (medicines).”

The R01 award is the oldest funding mechanism of the NIH for biomedical research. Being selected to receive the award means having your research dissected by peer researchers — a feat difficult for any scientist of any field. For Kartika, who was the lone investigator on the proposal, being awarded means his peers “appreciate the science and the chemistry that we do.”

“Organic chemistry research is hard to sell, but the kind of work that we do is fundamental to science,” Kartika said. “We’re developing new reactions; we’re trying to understand new reactivity, and hopefully from the work that we do, someone else can utilize the chemistry that we do to tackle their own problems.”

Almost immediately after receiving the grant, Kartika and fellow researchers published a paper in Angewandte Chemie, a weekly peer-reviewed scientific journal based in Germany. The researchers detailed their discovery of new reactions that enable the creation of molecules that are enantiomerically pure — contain only one of a pair of molecules that are mirror images of each other.

Just like how our hands are mirror images of each other, molecules can also have mirror images that cannot be stacked on top of each other — termed as enantiomers — since they have two different spatial structures. Almost all biological molecules, including DNA and proteins in our bodies, exist as

one enantiomer. In order for drugs to interact with the biological target receptors and produce the medicinal benefits, the molecule itself, also has to exist in spatial singularity if it possesses an enantiomeric pair.

For example, one enantiomer in the drug Aleve is a pain reliever. However, the mirror image — the other enantiomer that is not in Aleve — is a liver poison.

“Making reactions that produce a pair of enantiomers is relatively straightforward,” Kartika said. “Trying to develop new reactions to allow formation of only one enantiomer without the second being formed is the difficult part, but in the newest portion of our research, we were able to produce a reaction that allowed formation of one over the other.”

While his research is tangibly on the smallest of scales, the big picture of Kartika’s work can influence what will be the next set of drugs that our communities will see.

Recently, Kartika published a new paper detailing his work in Organic Letters, a peer-reviewed American Chemical Society publication. He and his team looked at cyclic compounds — or compounds in which atoms are connected form a ring — with already known medicinal properties and developed new chemistry that would allow for the formation of similar molecular structures.

Kartika plans to submit to small molecule screening centers and have these molecules evaluated to see if they also have medicinal properties.

If the evaluations prove that the molecules can successfully deliver a kind of medicine, then Kartika has already successfully reached one of the goals of his proposed research. However, he says that even if there is a positive outcome, that is still not “the end point.”

“Either way, the result that we get will help us move forward into new directions. If the compounds are active against certain proteins that are associated with certain diseases, we then have to find potential collaborators who specialize in that type of research. Then, using the molecular core that we created in the lab, we can put different substituents in that molecule to see if the newly decorated molecular structure will have a better or worse activity. That is essentially one of the fundamental practices in drug discovery.”

This means a new library of molecular compounds — and an unexplored area of new drugs.

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OUR LOUISIANA

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TOTAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF LSU ON LOUISIANA

$5 .1

BIL L IO N LSU FLAGSHIP CAMPUS ECONOMIC IMPACT

$2 .7

BIL L IO N $815 MILLION IN EARNINGS 18,769 JOBS ACROSS THE STATE OF LOUISIANAA

LSU IMPACT ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES

$57.4 MIL L IO N

Source: The Economic Impact of LSU on Louisiana (2017), LSU E.J. Ourso College of Business Economics & Policy Research Group

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impact

LO UIS IANA LSU scientists make our state stronger ECONOMIC IMPACT New insights into oyster farming

Morgan Kelly, assistant professor in LSU’s Department of Biological Sciences, is a marine biologist who studies how oysters adapt to changes in their environment.

Oysters play an important role in our living ecosystem by filtering and cleaning water, which positively impacts other species. Oyster beds also help stabilize the shoreline preventing coastal erosion and land loss. Not to mention, Louisiana’s oyster fishery is a roughly $85 million industry, making it the largest in the country.

Kelly studies how warming temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico and a rise in fresh water from heavy rainfall and freshwater diversions impact oysters. She and her graduate students conduct research at the Michael C. Voisin Oyster Hatchery on Grand Isle, La., as well as in the lab at LSU. “In our research, we put oysters from different populations out into the environment to study how they react to various levels of salinity and temperature,” said Kelly. “We want to know which oyster populations can best adapt genetically to a changing environment.”

Morgan identifies the strains of oysters that can survive best in low saline conditions. She hopes managers will be able to use those strains to repopulate oyster breeding grounds where salinity levels fluctuate most.

ADVANCING K-12 EDUCATION Chemistry inspiration

The LSU College of Science leads the way in math and science education. From training teachers across Louisiana, to developing K-12 curriculum, we support learning for all Louisiana youth.

For more than 20 years, LSU’s ChemDemo program has brought more than 150,000 LSU undergraduates to over 7,000 classrooms in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

ChemDemo uses safe, fun, hands-on demonstrations to expose K-12 students to a variety of thematic concepts in chemistry.

George Stanley, Cyril and Tutta Vetter Louisiana Fund Alumni Professor of Chemistry, started the program in 1997 with support from corporations such as Albermarle, ExxonMobil and Dow Chemical.

ChemDemo undergraduates have interacted with more than 182,000 K-12 students in its 22-year history, which makes it the largest K-12 service learning activity in the nation.

SAVING OUR COAST Understanding land loss and its impact

The Mississippi River Delta and coastal Louisiana are disappearing at an astonishing rate. Researchers report losses as much as a football field of wetlands every 100 minutes. The kicker—more than 80 percent of the nation’s coastal land loss occurs in Louisiana.

Researchers predict that by 2040, Louisiana will have lost more than one million acres of coastal wetlands triggering a 30 percent decline in recreational fisheries harvest and impacting nearly 50,000 jobs in the fishing industry.

LSU researchers are working to help us better understand the causes of land loss and to explore ways to sustainably conserve our coastlines. Sam Bentley, Billy and Ann Harrison Chair in the Department of Geology & Geophysics and vice president of LSU’s Office or Research and Economic Development, is documenting the land loss along the Mississippi River Delta by collecting sediment cores.

Bentley uses a three-inch-diameter PVC pipe affixed to the end of a pole to collect layers of sediment, or a core.

“I refer to some of our work as Home Depot oceanography,” Bentley said. “If you put ‘marine supplies’ or ‘science’ in front of anything you want to buy, then you’re going to have to add an extra zero to the cost, or maybe three (extra zeroes).”

Morgan Kelly, marine biologist and assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at LSU, collecting oysters.

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Professor of Biological Sciences Naohiro Kato has created biodegradable Mardi Gras beads and dabloons.

FUN FACT: The beads were created after one of his students “partied too hard” and forgot to end a lab experiment spinning cycle on time, which resulted in a gooey, oily mess that gave Kato the brilliant idea to create biodegradable beads.

To collect sediment, Bentley and his team travel by boat to a specifically identified location in the river and firmly insert the pipe into the bottom of the river floor.

What he receives is a collection of mud and sand that are piled up on top of the other. In what would appear to be just layers of dirt to most, Bentley sees a timeline of natural and man-made occurrences that have impacted the coast in that area.

The combination of sea level rise and man-made obstructions to the natural flow of sediment (to create deltas) collectively has a negative impact upon Louisiana’s coastline.

“Conditions are dire for much of the coastal region of the Mississippi River Delta and our children’s children will see a coastal landscape that we might not recognize,” Bentley said.

MAKING MARDI GRAS MORE GREEN A sustainable alternative to traditional throws

After the revelry of Mardi Gras, thousands of pounds of plastic beads enter our environment each year with most of the throws ending up in the landfill. LSU Professor of Biological Sciences Naohiro Kato believes that we can do a better job of making our annual celebration more sustainable and environment friendly.

Kato has developed biodegradable Mardi Gras beads and dabloons.

One of Kato’s students at LSU accidently discovered the basic ingredients Kato has refined to produce the biodegradable beads.

“My student was supposed to come into the lab three nights in a row to move our test tube samples for algae from the centrifuge to the freezer, but one night he forgot,” Kato said.

The next morning, Kato found a large glob of green algae accumulating oils—one of the ingredients used for bioplastic production—on the bottom of the centrifuge.

Kato has further refined the process for creating the beads and has patent applications Visit pending for various formulations lsuscienceblog.com and methods of making the biodegradable beads that could Naohiro Kato shares help prevent tens of thousands “10 Things You Didn’t of pounds of plastic Mardi Know about Mardi Gras Gras beads from entering the Beads...that Biodegrade!” environment each year. Kato is also in discussion with a nutraceutical company and awaiting a contract to begin production of biodegradable Mardi Gras beads.

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LIGO across the ages

HOW DO WE DE T E C T GRAVITATIONAL WAVES? In 2016, the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC) announced what some have hailed the discovery of the century—the first ever detection of gravitational waves. These waves, or ripples in the fabric of spacetime, were caused by two black holes colliding over a billion light years away.

For LSU, the investment in LIGO has spanned more than 50 years and is among the longest of the institutions contributing to the discovery. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) at Livingston is located on LSU property, and LSU faculty, students and research staff are major contributors to the international LIGO Scientific Collaboration.

What has brought LSU to such a prominent role in the new field of gravitational-wave astronomy and who are the scientists at its cutting edge?

Photo: Dancing Duo of Black Holes Artist’s conception shows two merging black holes similar to those detected by LIGO Photo credit: LIGO Caltech

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DETECTIONS OF GRAVITATIONAL WAVES SINCE 2015

1970s

2000s

IT STARTED WITH AN IDEA

HISTORY-MAKING BREAKTHROUGHS

Rainer Weiss, one of the co-founders for LIGO, developed the idea for the project in the early 1970’s as an associate professor of physics at MIT. He wanted to find a way to explain gravitational waves to his students.

In 2005 through 2007, LIGO had an observation run at the initial LIGO design sensitivity, which after analysis produced impressive upper limits on various kinds of sources, but no detections. After a period of upgrades, called “Enhanced LIGO,” LIGO ran again until October 2010 at increased sensitivity, also seeing no sources.

In 1970, LSU Professor Emeritus in Physics & Astronomy Bill Hamilton and Professor Warren Johnson built and operated previous generation cryogenic bar gravitational wave detectors in the basement of LSU’s Nicholson Hall for many years.

In 1979, NSF funded Caltech and MIT for laser interferometer research and development.

1980s

PROPOSAL ACCEPTED In 1989, Rainer Weiss, Kip Thorne of MIT, and colleagues submitted a proposal to NSF to fund LIGO, which was enthusiastically supported by NSF.

1990s

LAYING THE FOUNDATION Chancellor Emeritus James Wharton and a host of LSU faculty and administrators, politicians, attorneys and landowners, together with the Livingston Economic Development Council and State Economic Development leaders dedicated two years to bringing the LIGO project to Louisiana and securing the Livingston site.

NSF selects LIGO sites in Hanford, Washington and Livingston, Louisiana, making LSU the only research institution in the U.S. with a LIGO observatory close enough for daily use by students and faculty. Between 1994 and 1995, construction began on both LIGO sites. Barry Barish of Caltech became the LIGO Principal Investigator in 1994. In 1997 the LIGO Scientific Collaboration is established expanding LIGO beyond Caltech and MIT to charter members including LSU. LSU hosted the first LSC meeting in Nicholson Hall.

Today, more than 1,300 scientists from universities and research institutions across the globe conduct LIGO research as members of the LSC. Already LSC members, Joseph Giaime and Gabriela González joined LSU’s faculty in 1999 and 2001, respectively.

In 2006, the Science Education Center opened at LIGO Livingston offering fun educational activities based on the cutting-edge science and engineering happening at LIGO. LSU Professor Joseph Giaime began that year as the head of LIGO Livingston.

Beginning in 2010, as part of the NSF-funded Advanced LIGO project, LIGO upgraded the two U.S. gravitational wave interferometers, bringing these instruments to sensitivities that should make gravitational wave detections a routine occurrence. Advanced LIGO’s installation and commissioning led to a first observational run in fall 2015.

In 2011, LSU Professor of Physics Gabriela González was named spokesperson for the LIGO Scientific Collaboration. On September 14, 2015, Advanced LIGO detected gravitational waves from a collision of two black holes. Together with other leaders and founders of the LIGO effort, González made the official statements about the historic detection on Feb. 11, 2016 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., before gathered national science press.

In May 2016, 13 LIGO Livingston physicists and graduate students from LSU were among the recipients of the Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics.

On August 14, 2017, LIGO VIRGO made its first detection of gravitational waves produced by colliding neutron stars. This discovery was the first cosmic event observed in both gravitational waves and a broad range of other astronomical instruments, including gamma ray and x-ray instruments in orbit, optical, infra-red and ultra-violet telescopes, and radio telescopes. This was the birth of gravitational-wave based multi-messenger astronomy.

On October 3, 2017, LIGO co-founders Rainer Weiss, Barry Barish and Kip Thorne were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. On June 20, 2018, LIGO Livingston was designated a historic physics site by the American Physical Society.

To date, LIGO scientists have published information about 11 events, 10 binary black hole mergers and one binary neutron star merger. The observational run that began in 2019 has produced approximately one public alert per week to allow follow up by astronomers and likely publication as many more GW detections by LIGO scientists.

LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy Associate Professor Thomas Corbitt and collaborators presented the first broadband, off-resonance measurement of quantum radiation pressure noise in the audio band, at frequencies relevant to gravitational wave detectors. Their work was reported on March 25, 2019, in the journal Nature. The research results hint at methods to improve the sensitivity of gravitational-wave detectors by developing techniques to mitigate the imprecision in measurements called “back action,” thus increasing the chances of detecting gravitational waves.

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FACULTY AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Nature, the leading international weekly journal of science, has selected Isiah Warner, LSU Boyd Professor and Philip W. West Professor of Analytical & Environmental Chemistry, for the 2019 Nature Award for Mentoring in Science. Through Warner’s leadership and mentorship, the LSU Department of Chemistry has become the leading producer of doctoral degrees in chemistry for women and African Americans in the U.S. Under his direction, the LSU Office of Strategic Initiatives has mentored countless numbers of students across eight programs from the high school to doctoral levels.

In 2018, four LSU College of Science faculty members were named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, or AAAS, the world’s largest general scientific society. The newly elected fellows are Prosanta Chakrabarty, associate professor in the LSU Department of Biological Sciences and the curator of Ichthyology in the LSU Museum of Natural Science; Anne Grove, the Gregory Cannaday Burns Professor in the LSU Department of Biological Sciences; Kyle Harms, professor in the LSU Department of Biological Sciences; and Wayne Newhauser, the Dr. Charles M. Smith Chair of Medical Physics professor and director of the LSU Medical and Health Physics program.

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AAAS FELLOWS IN THE LSU COLLEGE OF SCIENCE

LSU Math Professor Richard Ng and researchers from Expedia Group, UC Santa Barbara and Texas A&M University were awarded the 2019 Gerald L. Alexanderson Award of the American Institute of Mathematics. The Alexanderson Award is given annually by the American Institute of Mathematics (AIM) for an outstanding paper published in the previous three years that arose from an AIM workshop or SQuaRE. Ng’s present research interests lie in the area of Hopf algebra, quasi-Hopf algebra and tensor category. Ng’s main research is aimed at the classification of finite dimensional Hopf algebras in special dimensions, and the study of invariants of pivotal tensor categories such as Frobenius-Schur indicators and exponents. This endeavor involves close ties with many other areas of mathematics such as representations of finite dimensional algebras and groups, knot invariants, etc. and the broadly conceived area of physical mathematics called conformal field theory.

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TRAILBLAZER

Q What are you most passionate about in life?

Dr. Gabriela González:

Gabriela González Named 2019 SEC Professor of the Year Gabriela González, Boyd Professor in the LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy, has been named the 2019 SEC Professor of the Year. González is the second professor from LSU to win the honor since the inception of the award in 2012.

González is a leader in gravitational wave research, including having served as the global spokesperson for the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, or LIGO, Scientific Collaboration, a program that includes more than 1,000 scientists around the world. In 2017, LIGO leaders were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics after proving predictions made by Albert Einstein nearly 100 years ago.

I don’t like choosing between work and family, so I am most passionate about both.

Since I learned that “ripples in space time” can actually be measured with lasers, mirrors and large instruments, I’ve been passionate about building these instruments and “seeing” black holes with them. I don’t consider my work done yet, since making instruments more sensitive lets us see farther in the Universe and farther into the past - we have an even bigger motivation now than before detecting the first gravitational wave!

I am also passionate about my friends and family - I like traveling to visit them even if it’s far (my extended family lives in Argentina, most of my friends don’t live near me), and even organizing trips with them. I like cooking and knitting for my friends and my family (not sure they like the product as much as I do!)

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FACULTY AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

“I feel honored to get these awards.

Superconductors are one of the most important quantum materials for next-generation technology. This award will strengthen the quantum science research at LSU.” Dr. Weiwei Xie

Weiwei Xie, assistant professor in LSU’s Department of Chemistry, is among the first 20 Virtual Inorganic Pedagogical Electronic Resource, or VIPEr, Fellows to participate in a ground-breaking study to improve undergraduate education in science, technology, engineering and math. The study titled, “Improving Inorganic Chemistry Education,” is being conducted by the Interactive Online Network of Inorganic Chemists, or IONiC, with support from the National Science Foundation’s Improving Undergraduate STEM Education program. Xie is also a recipient of the 2018 Beckman Young Investigator Award.

NSF CAREER AWARD

FACULTY BY THE NUMBERS

256

RAINMAKERS

FACULTY

(FALL 2018)

213

TENURE-TRACK

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PERMANENT INSTRUCTORS

Assistant professors in the Department of Chemistry, Revati Kumar and Daniel Kuroda, have been recognized with NSF CAREER Awards. Kumar received the award this year for her project “Exploring Chemistry at Graphene Oxide Liquid Interfaces.” Kuroda received the award in 2018 for his research project “Molecular Characterization of Motions, Interactions and Structure of the Lithium Salts in Organic Solvents via Non-Linear Infrared Spectroscopy.” These prestigious early-career awards are given to faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education.

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LSU Assistant Professor of Chemistry Tuo Wang is the recipient of the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards. Wang was one of 36 award recipients. Wang and colleagues were also the first to investigate an intact corn plant stalk at the atomic level using high-resolution techniques. His research reveals a different internal structure of the plant than previously thought, which can help optimize how corn is converted into ethanol.

The study was published on January 21 in Nature Communications.

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RAINMAKERS IN THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE SINCE THE PROGRAM’S INCEPTION IN 2010

College of Science faculty members Mark Wilde and George Stanley were named among LSU’s 2019 Rainmakers. The Rainmaker Award is given to faculty members showing outstanding research in their respective disciplines.

Wilde, an associate professor in the LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy and the Center for Computation & Technology, received the Mid-Career Scholar Award. Stanley, LSU Cyril and Tutta Vetter Louisiana Fund Alumni Professor of Chemistry, received the Senior Scholar Award.

Pathways P U R PO SEFUL

The idea of diversity and inclusion has permeated almost every aspect of academia and beyond. Diversity in all its forms, including the aspects of individuals that can been seen and those that go unseen, help to develop more innovative solutions to the most pressing scientific issues that communities face today.

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The LSU College of Science has made it a priority to address both common and uncommon disparities found in the traditional culture of STEM. In order to advance and to support increased diversity and inclusion in the LSU science community, the College’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion has since invested in a range of initiatives and programming for students, faculty, and staff.

Make way for ‘inclusive excellence’

Dr. Zakiya Wilson-Kennedy, assistant dean for diversity and inclusion, LSU College of Science, and research professor in the Department of Chemistry

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Diversity without inclusion is a story of missed opportunities and slow-moving growth projections, but when these two ideologies are combined, they can create a potent mix of talent retention and engagement.

In an effort to take a proactive stance when addressing inclusivity, the college’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion launched the “Inclusive Excellence Series” to bring in fresh voices with the highest levels of credibility in their fields that can disrupt the common thoughts of what makes a campus diverse.

“The College of Science Inclusive Excellence Series was envisioned as a vehicle to bring in topnotch scientists — and by topnotch, I mean internationally known, excellent speakers — who not only have phenomenal research but who also have had a deep societal impact on broadening participation and increasing diversity,” Wilson-Kennedy said.

Part of the problem that has stirred universities to alter their approach to issues is that “diversity” and “inclusion” are so often lumped together, they’re sometimes assumed to be the same thing. In the context of institutional settings, diversity equals representation.

Without inclusion, however, the crucial connections that attract varied talent, encourage participation, foster innovation, and develop a steady growth within the institution won’t occur.

The series launched by hosting Dr. Geri Richmond, the presidential chair in science and chemistry professor at the University of Oregon, who was nominated by Ward

Plummer, an LSU Boyd Professor in Physics & Astronomy.

A strong advocate throughout her career for diversity in the scientific workforce, Richmond is the founding and current director of COACh, a grassroots organization formed in 1998 that has helped in the career advancement of more than 20,000 women scientists and engineers in the U.S. and in more than 20 developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

The world-renowned chemist has also held numerous leaderships roles in the national and international scientific arena throughout her career. She is currently serving on the National Science Board as an Obama appointee and is Secretary of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

“Whatever the career field, creating a more diverse workforce requires challenging the status quo,” said Richmond. “This is especially important in the exacting realms of science, technology, engineering and math. By definition, these fields are tasked with discovery and exploration.

“What better way to think outside the box than to draw in the people who’ve been left out? Yes, it can be uncomfortable, but stress is often a catalyst for creativity in problem solving and decision making.”

Beyond Richmond’s appearance, the series has also hosted Dr. Pamela Soltis, director of the University of Florida Biodiversity Institute and UF distinguished professor.

Champions for diversity and inclusion

The College of Science knows the future of STEM depends on greater gender and ethnic representation, and through the SCI LEAD — Student Champions for Inclusion — program, it has been able to increase awareness of opportunities among its students.

SCI LEAD is a student council within the college that supports students in developing professional leadership and communication skills, while advancing diversity and inclusion. It was designed by the college’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion to curate an immediate support network for science students, while assisting them in developing their professional identities.

In its inaugural year, 12 students chosen through an application process have

Dr. Geri Richmond, presidential chair in science, chemistry professor at the University of Oregon and inaugural Inclusive Excellence lecturer

“When you’re doing diversity work, even in the best of circumstances, you often have people who look through one lens and think everyone is experiencing the university through that same lens.”

Dr. Zakiya Wilson-Kennedy Assistant Dean of Diversity and Inclusion

worked towards decreasing the gender and inclusion gaps by using their knowledge and skills to address many of the questions and challenges that, when solved, will change the STEM industry, academia, and beyond.

“We’re learning things that we wouldn’t normally learn in a class setting that are still important for success in life, and a lot of (students) don’t realize it at the time,” said Bailey Hutzler, a participating junior majoring in astrophysics. “And then we have different chances to apply everything we are learning to outreach activities and leadership opportunities.”

Over the course of two semesters, the community of students were required to participate in a leadership learning laboratory.

The Leadership Learning Laboratory is a lecture/laboratory training model common to STEM learning and includes a series of workshops and activities led by the council. The Laboratory is also a space for students to develop and implement leadership training opportunities for their peers and science outreach activities, and collaborate to implement programs that foster a closer relationship among students, faculty, and administration.

“I know that everything I’ve learned through (SCI LEAD) in terms of how to handle myself as a professional in STEM will help me in my journey as I pursue medical school after graduation,” said Dipika Nagliya, a sophomore biology major.

The students were also required to develop a strategic plan around activities in which they sought to focus on improving the education environment for themselves, their peers at LSU, and even those beyond campus in various outreach opportunities.

One such activity was the College’s Geaux Science for Girls Story Time, in which Hutzler and her fellow students volunteered to educate more than 150 kindergarten through third grade girls in STEM in the course of a day.

In addition to planned readings from LSU women scientists, the students offered multiple science activities in which the girls could partake.

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GEAUX SCIENCE FOR GIRLS ENGAGEMENT

2 49

K-12 STUDENTS

22

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

44

GRADUATE STUDENTS

14

FACULTY

LSU chemistry graduate students guide Girls Day at the Museum participants in a chemistry demonstration using liquid nitrogen. Girls Day at the Museum is one of a series of outreach programs supported by a grant from Halliburton.

“Having an open conversation with (the girls) really lets them know that it’s okay to like science,” Hutzler said. “And pursuing the idea of leadership over the past several months has really helped to guide the conversations with them and with many others.”

Believing in the power of outreach

The early engagement of students, particularly those from historically underrepresented groups, in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics activities is vitally important to addressing gender-related and ethnic or raciallyrelated STEM achievement gaps.

After receiving a Halliburton grant that expanded support of high-quality STEM outreach programs for girls in 2018, the College of Science has collectively been able to reach almost 250 K-12 grade girls through its “Geaux Science for Girls” program. These activities have also involved more than 20 undergraduate students, 40 graduate students, and at least 14 faculty members.

“Our goal is to inspire a new generation of women scientists, and I am grateful to have a partner like Halliburton to support us in this effort,” said College of Science Dean Cynthia Peterson.

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The program focused on several activities,highlighting different age groups and varying science areas. STEM Story Time was a unique approach to a popular library activity, allowing LSU women scientists to read a science-themed story and, in turn, exposing K-3 grade girls to a variety of scientific principles and concepts. The event took place at five East Baton Rouge libraries, connecting LSU women scientists to a diverse set of communities over a course of one day.

Other activities included Girls’ Day at the Museum, a day filled with a behind-thescenes tour of the University’s Museum of Natural Sciences and engaging activities that required participants in grades 4-6 to discover and explore the natural sciences.

The girls also participated in STEM chats with women scientists, who created dialogue about science careers and how they constructed their own pathways.

In addition, the “Our Earth, Our Laboratory” program centered around geology-focused activities. Girls in grades 7 and 8 built Raspberry Shakes, or seismographs, with Dr. Patricia Persaud, a leading seismologist at the university, and received a lesson in sedimentary geology through a coring exercise with Dr. Sam Bentley, the vice president for research

and economic development at LSU and a geology faculty member.

For students in high school who may be looking at pursuing a degree in science, the college collaborated with LSU’s Office of Strategic Initiatives to bring in about 40 students from rural areas for the university’s first STEM Day. These students interacted with the LSU Center for River Studies, learning about one of the world’s largest movable bed physical models known as the Lower Mississippi River Physical Model, and participated in science activities at the Museum of Natural Sciences. Student leaders from SCI LEAD and other programs also created conversations on college readiness with the high schoolers.

“You have to figure out your passion early on,” said LSU ichthyologist Prosanta Chakrabarty during STEM Day. “I had a passion for something that I didn’t have a mechanism to discover for a long time, but I had to go and figure that out. There’s still so much to discover in this great big world.”

The College hopes to magnify its program into Geaux Science Exploration!, which will incorporate any historically underrepresented groups in STEM, in the coming school year.

TOTAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE FULL-TIME STUDENT ENROLLMENT (FALL 2018)

2 ,9 50 2, 4 4 9 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

5 01 GRADUATE STUDENTS

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FIERCE F O R S CI ENC E In March, LSU announced the launch of a $1.5 billion campaign in support of the flagship campus in Baton Rouge, the LSU AgCenter, LSU of Alexandria, LSU Eunice, LSU Health New Orleans, LSU Health Shreveport, LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center and LSU Shreveport. LSU’s Fierce for the Future Campaign is the largest fundraising campaign for higher education in the history of Louisiana.

The campaign focuses on raising philanthropic support to advance six pillars: arts and culture; coast, energy and environment; research and economic development; health and well-being; education; and leadership.

LSU President F. King Alexander said of the campaign’s importance, “LSU is more than just a university. It is home to a unique combination of people, partnerships and ideas that fuel the engine of progress across Louisiana and around the world.

Gifts to the Fierce for the Future Campaign will empower LSU to drive solutions to global issues that Louisiana knows better than most while simultaneously preparing tomorrow’s leaders to make a difference in the lives of others.”

In preparation for this campaign, the LSU Foundation implemented a cohort style fundraising model that combines fundraisers in the College of Science, The Manship School of Mass Communication and the College of Art + Design into what is now known as the OAK cohort. This team maximizes fundraising resources across three colleges increasing the number of fundraisers working on behalf of each unit. The OAK cohort is led by Eric Guerin, senior director of development.

In addition to the work of the Oak Cohort, the College of

Science is also fortunate to have ample representation on the LSU Foundation National Board. This national network of volunteer ambassadors is committed to catalyzing transformational philanthropic support for LSU. Board members identify and engage LSU with individuals, corporations, and foundations in their regions by hosting events to steward donors and prospective donors. Ten College of Science alumni and donors serve on the board: Patricia Bodin, mathematics, class of 1972 Clarence Cazalot, geology, class of 1972 Gregg DeMar, College of Science, inaugural Dean’s Circle member since 2007 Frank Harrison Jr., geology, petroleum geology, class of 1950 Michelle Holoubek, physics, class of 2001 Frank “Billy” Harrison III, geology, class of 1976 Larry Heimendinger, physics, class of 1967 Laura Moffit, geology, class of 1979 Dr. Mary Neal, zoology, class of 1979 James Peltier, pre-medical zoology, class of 1950

OUTREACH Dr. Erich Sturgis, biochemistry, class of 1985

Am cum harciene perferum ut qui que omnihiliquo mintisincti archillupta veruptae. Et inctum quiaectem nobis aut exeritas alicide sequatae dempori busapidebis nonsequam fugitiore nonsed mo ium OVERALL CONTRIBUTIONS sero odisimu sdaecea TO THE LSU FOUNDATION sunt laborep errumqui re, te niet landipictur?

FY 2018-19 Obis nos am nulparciis alitate nectorruptae prae. Et quam fugit ad quaspe nus mos as mi, il min con exceper natempossita parcia ni cus est, comniet des excerferum dolupta COLLEGE OF SCIENCE spernate

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NEW FISH SPECIES DISCOVERIES

$ 6 2 , 2 3 9, 3 7 9 $12,3 54,3 61 34

PLANNED GIVING

SUPPO RT I N G A LEGACY O F RESE A R C H Alumnus establishes research scholarship in physics In a world where both the national and state budgets for education are shrinking, planned giving can be considered the life preserver a university needs to continue to develop and thrive in a competitive world.

Today, planned gifts from hundreds of alumni and friends have provided vital support for bolstering experiences in the College of Science, from strengthening research and scholarship to revitalizing classrooms and buildings. These significant charitable gifts made during a donor’s life or at death can ensure consistent, long-term funding and support a revenue stream that smooths the waves in the future. Planned gifts can take on many forms, from bequests to blended gifts, but one thing’s for certain: They always change lives.

“Those who want to give have generally been inspired by something,” said Julie Falgout, LSU Foundation’s executive director of planned giving. “People are often inspired by the research and the problems they want to see solved. They are inspired by compelling programs they want to see broadened or by first-generation students who may need some financial assistance to get through school. And these gifts can aid in all of that.”

One such gift comes from a College of Science alumnus whose involvement in the college has inspired him to give back.

Rick Rauch, an expert in rocket propulsion testing at NASA and a College of Science graduate, has committed to a $1 million bequest, a gift given through a will or an estate plan. Rauch’s million-dollar gift will be used to establish an endowed research scholarship fund for the Department of Physics & Astronomy that will support additional undergraduate research opportunities.

LSU physics alumnus Rick Rauch and Brian Dorman, members of the LSU Gravitational Wave Laboratory.

“(Rauch) has made this incredible decision to give back to the institution and to the college that has inspired him in some way,” said Eric Guerin, LSU Foundation senior director of development, who oversees fundraising efforts in the College of Science. “And we are so appreciative that he feels moved enough by his experiences here to invest in our students.”

Rauch’s journey to NASA began on LSU’s campus as an undergraduate making his way through the department to which he’s now giving back.

“It goes back to personal experience,” said Rauch. “The opportunity I had to actually contribute to a research project as an undergrad was really special. I got to see where all that knowledge goes, and it’s important for undergrads to have that.

I want to play a small part in having that experience continued.”

It was a passing conversation coupled with a simple curiosity that led him to the basement of Nicholson Hall. He heard there was a need for student workers.

After making what he claimed to be a “fumbling plea” to get involved, he secured a student position with physics professor William “Bill” Hamilton during the early days of gravitational wave-detection research. Now, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory and LSU have made multiple detections of

gravitational waves — one as recently as April —, and its leaders have received a Nobel Prize in Physics.

Rauch eventually graduated from the university in 1977 and went on to earn his doctorate in theoretical physics and gravitational theory at Stony Brook University in New York, a feat he claimed was “the biggest challenge of his life.” He now serves as project manager at NASA’s John C. Stennis Space Center, and is still learning how to successfully navigate the perils of space.

“I was fortunate enough to work hard and be successful and want to provide more opportunities to explore whether it’s broadly or in depth. Now, I want to give folks the opportunity to find out what they really want to do,” Rauch said. “And maybe encourage others to give back, as well.”

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE PLANNED GIVING

$16 .4 MIL L IO N

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ALUMNI FEATURE

THE ARTIST OF SURGERY When Dr. Sam Sukkar was an undergraduate at LSU in the 80s, he never once envisioned for himself a path that led towards plastic surgery. And yet, after 18 years practicing, Sukkar now owns The Clinic for Plastic Surgery in Houston, Tx., and has completed more than 10,000 procedures since.

“A plastic surgeon is seen as a master surgeon who is innovative, who can think on his feet, and whom other physicians call on when they need assistance. We know human anatomy from head to toe, and we are often called in to assist on difficult cases with other surgical specialties because of our expertise. “After making this realization, I knew this was the type of physician I wanted to become.”

Growing up on the road to success

But the story of his success actually begins down the road from the university. Living just beyond the borders of campus as a child, Sukkar grew up listening to the roar of the crowds from Tiger Stadium and proudly dressing in royal purple and champion gold.

“I remember I had a white transistor radio from Radio Shack, and I would listen to the LSU games late at night after I was told to go to bed. I spent many nights with that radio hidden underneath my pillow, thinking ‘I’ll be there one day.’”

Sukkar also recalled memories of riding with his father in the

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family V.W. Beetle to the student union, where the Sukkars had their personal P.O. Box. The Sukkars were Tigers by definition.

And one of the strongest family values Ma’moun and Julie Sukkar instilled in their children was centered around education.

“My dad would tell me, ‘The cream always rises to the top.’ You get what you deserve. If you work hard, you deserve what that brings.

Everyone is capable, but are they willing to put in the sweat that’s required to achieve their ultimate goals?”

When work turns to passion

Beyond the influences his parents left on him as a child, it wasn’t until Sukkar reached high school, when a close friend’s father, Dr. Jack Holden, a pathologist at Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge, left a lasting impression that triggered something within the future surgeon.

Dr. Holden assisted a young Sukkar in attaining jobs at a hospital during his undergraduate career. His first encounter was in a lab

“Everything worthwhile requires a foundation.

You can’t just jump in. During my four years of undergraduate studies at LSU, I learned the language of science, a language that was needed for me to successfully complete medical school.”

DR. SAM SUKKAR

department drawing blood specimens around the hospital, which eventually led to assisting pathologists on autopsies.

During a job training, Sukkar was sent to Baylor University’s Texas Medical Center. “At this job, I was able to work with my hands on cadavers. Subconsciously, this is when I started to become interested in surgery.”

But even for someone who had always had a fascination for the medical field, Sukkar admitted the job could be unsettling at times.

With a packed class schedule, a then-undergrad Sukkar was forced to take on the undesirable night shift.

“I remember one time, the funeral director from a local funeral home paged me while I was in class, so I rushed over to harvest the corneal donation. At the funeral home, it wasn’t unusual to have more than one body being worked on, and this particular time, there were about 11, 12 bodies in this huge room. Definitely more than I had ever seen before.

And wouldn’t you know it — as soon as I got there, the funeral director said, ‘Alright, now that you’re here, I’m going to lunch! Be back later!’ Needless to say, the next hour or so was one of the most challenging in my life!”

Sukkar eventually graduated from LSU’s College of Science in biological sciences in 1988.

“Everything worthwhile requires a foundation.

You can’t just jump in. During my four years of undergraduate studies at LSU, I learned the language of science, a language that was needed for me to successfully complete medical school.”

And succeed, Sukkar did.

The art of surgery

For Sukkar, a typical surgery day consists of eight to 10 hours of surgery cases.

When he isn’t holding a scalpel, he stays busy running the practice, which also includes a surgical suite and a medical spa, — or studying.

In addition to his full-time practice, Sukkar also recently received a master’s degree in business administration.

Though he calls Houston home now, he won’t forget any time soon where his success originally established. Adorned with gifted Tiger swag from patients, Sukkar’s office is as decked out in LSU gear as the campus bookstore. The physician usually slips on a LSU tie for patient

consultations, and even his favorite surgery attire dons the university’s logo.

Tiger blood runs deep

In the Sukkar family, attending LSU has become somewhat of a tradition — his mother, Julie, even graduated with a history degree while his youngest sister was also attending classes. But beyond becoming part of the LSU family, Sukkar and his siblings have taken their successes to a whole new level. The tradition somehow transformed into a challenge.

The friendly level of competition for Sukkar, his older brother, Dr. Salim Sukkar, and his younger sister, Dr. Adlah Sukkar, is probably beyond that of an average sibling rivalry. The three Sukkars have all graduated from LSU’s College of Science and have all obtained medical degrees. The oldest Sukkar became an anesthesiologist and remained in Baton Rouge, while the youngest is now a pulmonologist practicing in Virginia.

“Are there any fun sibling rivalries between me and my siblings? Like who is the best doctor?

Oh yeah, but they all know I am. I even went back to school for my MBA to prove it to them,” Sukkar joked. “I would also win the rivalry for most hair — I take after my mother with this thick lustrous hair.”

The Sukkar legacy has had a trickle-down effect as it now includes the surgeon’s children.

Joseph, 22, received his bachelor’s degree from LSU and is now pursuing a master’s degree in business administration, while Hannah, 19, is currently working towards following her father’s footsteps in becoming a plastic surgeon.

Sukkar and his wife, Laura, also have a third child, Allie, 9, who is currently in the third grade.

Now with a third generation wearing the colors proudly, Sukkar has reason to return to his beloved alma mater.

“It’s definitely a lot of fun living the Tiger life,” Sukkar said. “I find myself reliving my days at LSU a lot more now that my kids attend school there. Getting to go to the games, tailgating, just walking around the campus with my family, recollecting memories. I love it all. And now, being able to interact with the College of Sciences as an alumnus has proved to be an incredible experience.”

WE ARE THE PULSE OF A HEALTHY LOUISIANA. More than half of of the physicians in Louisiana can point to a College of Science diploma on their walls.

College of Science students are accepted to medical schools at rates higher than the national average. In addition to LSU’s Health Science Centers, College of Science students were accepted to other prestigious medical schools including Harvard, Columbia, Baylor, Vanderbilt, Georgetown, University of California-San Francisco, Emory, Wake Forest, Florida State and Florida International.

LSU MEDICAL SCHOOL ADMISSIONS STATISTICS 2018-2019 Applications

334

Acceptances

158

Percentage Accepted

47.3%

National Average Acceptance Rate 39. 5%

Dr. Sukkar and his siblings are all graduates of the LSU College of Science. Pictured are Dr. Sam Sukkar, his older brother, Dr. Salim Sukkar, and his younger sister, Dr. Adlah Sukkar.

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S U P P ORT F RO M L I KE - M I N D E D

Visionaries 200 180

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE DEAN’S CIRCLE MEMBERS

160

177

M EM BERS AS OF JULY 15, 2019

Number of Members

140 120 100

183

80 60 89

40

4 3% INCRE ASE F ROM FALL 2 012

100

102

124

125

129

154

153

170

177

58

20 45

0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Year

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE TOTAL ENDOWMENT MARKET VALUE

$4 0.6 MI L L I O N AS OF JULY 4, 2019

53% I NC R E ASE F R OM MAY 31 , 201 2

$45,000,000

$33,591,621

$32,956,591

5/31/2014

5/31/2015

5/31/2016

$40,567,661

$32,945,985

$20,000,000

$26,446,293

$25,000,000

$30,856,294

$30,000,000

$36,138,165

$35,000,000

$40,185,684

$40,000,000

5/31/2018

5/31/2019

$15,000,000 $10,000,000 $5,000,000 $0 38

5/31/2012

5/31/2013

5/31/2017

MISSION S TAT E M E N T

The LSU College of Science provides the highest quality education and programs to create and disseminate knowledge through scientific research and discovery. Through fulfillment of this mission, all LSU students become scientifically literate citizens. College of Science graduates pursue successful careers in science and related disciplines using the critical thinking, communication, research and analytical skills honed in the College of Science to make a meaningful impact on our world. Our commitment is to be the primary scientific intellectual resource for Louisiana and the nation, to promote scientific literacy and to foster economic development by putting scientific knowledge into practice.

ADMINISTRATION Cynthia Peterson, dean Robb Brumfield, associate dean, research Maria Cazes, assistant dean, finance and administration Eric Guerin, senior director of development Kathryn Loveless, assistant dean, academic services Andrew Maverick, associate dean, academic services Gretchen Stein, director of administrative services Zakiya Wilson-Kennedy, assistant dean, diversity and inclusion EDITOR Dawn Jenkins, director of communications WRITERS

VISION

Dwayne Hinton Meredith Keating Jessica Manafi

S TAT E M E N T

CONTRIBUTORS

The vision of the LSU College of Science is to be an international leader in scientific research and instruction, elevating LSU to the highest level of excellence among major research universities in the United States and the world.

PHILANTHROPY S TAT E M E N T

Liz Centanni Eric Guerin Christopher Marshall Alison Satake Frances Watson PHOTOGRAPHY April Buffington Bob Gardner Eddy Perez Zehno Cross Communications

Our vision is a sustainable future for the LSU College of Science that will ensure the longevity and success of future generations of scientists. Our mission is to foster a culture of philanthropy that engages stakeholders and inspires meaningful investments in scientific education, innovation and research.

lsuscienceblog.com

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE DEAN’S CIRCLE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Dr. Erich M. Sturgis, Chair Houston, TX

Dr. Gary S. Grest Albuquerque, NM

Dr. Bryan T. Kansas Austin, TX

Dr. Gil Rew Shreveport, LA

Dr. Mary Lou Applewhite New Orleans. LA

Dr. William O. Hamilton Baton Rouge, LA

Dr. James V. Lange Stone Mountain, GA

Dr. John B. Sardisco Baton Rouge, LA

Mrs. Latoya Bullard-Franklin Missouri City, TX

Mr. Marshall J. Harper Shreveport, LA

Mrs. Linda K. Messina Baton Rouge, LA

Dr. William B. Stickle Jr. Baton Rouge, LA

Mr. Gregg A. DeMar Stamford, CT

Mr. Thomas E. Harrington III Carrollton, TX

Mrs. Laura C. Moffitt Clinton, MS

Dr. Sam M. Sukkar Houston, TX

Dr. Mary E. Neal Bellaire, TX

Dr. Melvin L. Triay III Metairie, LA

Mr. Charles C. Pinckney Birmingham, AL

Dr. Edward F. Zganjar Baton Rouge, LA

Dr. Kate B. Freeman Baton Rouge, LA Dr. Stewart T. Gordon Baton Rouge, LA

Mr. James R. Hart Houston, TX Dr. Wayne J. Homza Shreveport, LA

LSU.EDU/PURSUIT

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Louisiana State University 124 Hatcher Hall | Baton Rouge, LA 70803

JOIN THE DEAN’S CIRCLE The Dean's Circle (DC) is a loyal group of alumni and friends who share a passion for advancing scholarship and research at LSU. Our DC provides the working capital needed to fund pursuits of the College, including scholarships for first-year students, student organizations and educational travel expenses, faculty recruitment and recognition activities, and development initiatives that build alumni and community relations.

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DC membership recognizes the generosity of alumni and friends who make annual gifts of $1,000 or more to the Science Development Fund.

For a gift of $250, alumni who have graduated within the last ten years are also eligible for DC membership.

Members enjoy invitations to the annual Dean's Circle fall celebration and other events throughout the year.

TO JOIN BY MAIL Make your check payable to “LSU Foundation-Science Dean’s Circle” and mail your check to: LSU Foundation 3796 Nicholson Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70802 TO DONATE ONLINE Go to lsufoundation.org/givetoscience