LSU College of Science annual magazine, The Pursuit 2015

The

PURSUIT 2015

Official magazine of the LSU College of Science

s c h o l a r s h i p

|

r e s e a r c h

|

i n n o vat i o n

|

LSU College of Science

New Leadership, New Vision,

Great Expectations

e x c e l l e n c e

The ART of Science

Message

from the dean Dear friends,

This has been an exciting year for the LSU College of Science. Our faculty and students are involved in a number of new initiatives that are making a great impact on the state of Louisiana, the nation and the world.

Our outstanding community of research scholars are effecting change through their collaborations with national laboratories, and partnerships with other universities and programs across LSU. These academic and research connections are increasing the breadth of LSU’s research impact and solidifying our reputation as one of the nation’s top research institutions.

As an alumnus of the LSU College of Science, it has been exciting to reconnect with the college community and witness the growth of our research activities and the ingenuity of our faculty and students. The theme for this edition of The Pursuit is LSU College of Science 2020: New Leadership, New Vision, Great Expectations.

We are implementing a number of new initiatives to grow the research and academic activities of the college.

As we approach 2016, we are focusing on growing and diversifying our faculty, increasing our efforts to recruit and retain high-achieving students, building networks to better support academics and research and creating a culture of philanthropy that will help grow the college’s scholarly work.

In this edition of The Pursuit, you will learn more about LSU’s Planetary Science Laboratory and their contributions to Mars exploration, see how palynology PhD student Shannon Ferguson used pollen analysis to help solve the case of a missing child and explore LIGO’s quest to prove the existence of gravitational waves. So, please take a moment and read about some of the exciting work in the LSU College of Science.

Sincerely,

Cynthia B. Peterson, dean Seola Arnaud and Richard Vernon Edwards Jr. Professor

Images by zehua zhou, Research Associate in the LSU Department of Chemistry Laboratory of Graça Vicente, Charles H. Barré Distinguished Professor of Chemistry Image shows the co-localization of BODIPY Tri-OH (red fluorescence) and ERtracer (blue/white fluorescence) inside human carcinoma HEp2 cells. The purple color indicates that BODIPY Tri-OH localizes mainly in the cell endoplasmic reticulum.

Contents Year in Review..............................................................4 Faculty Accolades........................................................6 Stellar Students............................................................10

Cover Story: LSU College of Science 2020......................................14

FEATURES: CAMD.....................................................................12 Excellence in Action: John Lynn.............................17 The Collapse of an Empire.....................................18 Exploring the Galaxy..............................................21 Life on Mars............................................................22 Exploring Marine Life at the Micro Level................24 A New Frontier in Forensic Science.......................30 Eureka! Connecting Math to the Real World....................................................32 Wave Catchers: LIGO Inches Closer to Proving Einstein's Theory.......................34 Making a Difference: Dr. James Lange...................42 LSU Herbarium Named in Honor of Dr. Shirley C. Tucker............................44 Knock Knock Museum Inspires Next Generation of Scientists................................46

Cover on the

The LSU College of Science houses a number of state-of-the-art research facilities on campus, including the LSU Shared Instrumentation Facility, or SIF. The SIF, which is available to all LSU faculty students and staff, offers instrumentation to support image acquisition and elemental analysis for a variety of science disciplines including materials sciences, chemistry, life sciences, bioengineering, agriculture, geology and environmental science. The cover image, taken by Ryoichi Teruyama, LSU assistant professor of biological sciences, demonstrates localization of mineralocorticoid receptor (gold) and glucocorticoid inactivating enzyme (purple) by immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization, respectively, in the hypothalamic neuroendocrine neurons.

Administration Cynthia Peterson, dean Guillermo Ferreyra, associate dean Richard Kurtz, associate dean Andrew Maverick, associate dean Martha Cedotal, sr. assistant dean Sara Marchiafava, sr. assistant dean

Editor Dawn Jenkins

Contributors Ali Castillo Liz Centanni Emilia Gilbert Allison McCollister Pink Thamdorn Frances Watson Michelle Watson

Photography April Buffington Eddy Perez Jim Zietz

Dean’s Circle Executive Committee

Erin Schexnaydre (left), LSU PhD student in biological sciences, gives graduate students a crash course in state-of-the-art sample preparation, transfer and imaging, and image processing during a three-day workshop for PhD students and post-graduates interested in learning basic cryo-EM techniques.

Dr. Mary E. Neal, chair Dr. Melvin L. Triay III, vice chair Dr. Mary Lou Applewhite Mrs. Patricia Hewlett Bodin Dr. George L. Boudreaux Dr. Brad A. Broussard Dr. Robb T. Brumfield Mr. Peter D. Burland Dr. Michael L. Cherry Mr. Gregg A. DeMar Dr. Guillermo S. Ferreyra Dr. Kate B. Freeman Dr. William O. Hamilton Mr. Tom E. Harrington, III Dr. Wayne J. Homza Dr. Bryan T. Kansas Dr. Richard L. Kurtz Dr. Arlo Landolt Dr. James V. Lange Dr. Terry J. Latiolais Dr. Andrew W. Maverick Mrs. Laura C. Moffitt Dr. Beverly W. Ogden Dr. Robert V. Perlis Mr. Edward B. Picou, Jr. Mr. Charles C. Pinckney Mrs. Angela LaGrange Scott Dr. Erich M. Sturgis Dr. Carol M. Wicks Dr. Edward F. Zganjar

LSU College of Science

Year In Review 2014-2015

‹‹ ‹‹

Ready, Set, GEAUX! The College of Science kicked off the fall semester with hot dogs, snow cones and cool college swag for its newest students. All first-year students with plans to major in a College of Science program were invited to spend a Sunday afternoon in the LSU Museum of Natural Science for the college's 2015 Geaux Science welcome.

The students were given t-shirts and sunglasses and encouraged to view the museum exhibits and explore the diversity of student organizations in attendance.

An LSU First | Zachary Fitzpatrick, La-STEM scholar, Fulbright scholar and biochemistry graduate, is LSU's first recipient of the prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship. Fitzpatrick is pursuing a master’s degree in advanced immunology at Pierre and Marie Curie University and the Pasteur Institute of Paris. After completing his studies in France, he will pursue a Master of Philosophy degree in clinical science at the University of Cambridge.

‹‹

‹‹

EXCELLENCE in TEACHING | Recognized for his achievements in teaching and mentoring, Chris Gregg, biological sciences instructor and former rector of the Science Residential College, is this year's recipient of the Dr. Marion "Soc" Socolofsky Award for Teaching Excellence. Dean's Circle Executive Committee member Terry Latiolais (far left) and Dean Cynthia Peterson presented Gregg with the award.

Celebrating the BEST of the BEST | The LSU College of Science recognized the contributions of four outstanding individuals during its eleventh annual Hall of Distinction ceremony. The 2015 honorees are Meredith Blackwell, LSU System Boyd Professor Emerita in Biological Sciences; John O’Neill, former director of the LSU Museum of Natural Science; Arnold Bouma, Professor Emeritus in Geology & Geophysics (represented by his wife, Lieneke); and Edward Zganjar, Professor Emeritus in Physics & Astronomy.

STELLAR Students! | The LSU College of Science has a long-standing reputation for graduating some of LSU's top scholars. The college's Class of 2015 included 17 University Medalists, students graduating with the highest grade point average; 13 with College Honors, the highest recognition awarded jointly by the College of Science and the Honors College; and 120 with Latin Honors. The college also had two students to graduate with the Distinguished Communicator Award and one commissioned as an officer in the Armed Forces.

Mars on Wheels | The Mobil Astronomy Resources System, or MARS, truck was stationed at the Old Governor's Mansion during Louisiana's 25th Earth Day Celebration. Operated through the Louisiana Space Grant Consortium in partnership with the LSU Cain Center, Highland Road Park Observatory and the LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy, the truck includes computer controlled telescopes, a digital portable planetarium and other materials to provide visitors with an astronomy/space science learning experience.

‹‹

Nobel Worthy Work LSU Professor of Physics & Astronomy Thomas Kutter and his research team were members of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory, or SNO, Collaboration led by Arthur McDonald, who was awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics.

The prize was awarded jointly to McDonald of Queens University and Takaaki Kajita of the University of Tokyo for the discovery of neutrino oscillations, which shows that neutrinos - a type of sub-atomic particles - have mass.

‹‹

New SPECIES | LSU Museum of Natural Science Curator of Mammals Jake Esselstyn and his international collaborators have discovered the hog-nose rat (photo below), or Hyorhinomys stuempkei, a new genus and species of shrew rat on the mountainous island in Indonesia.

This new discovery is the third new genus described by this group of scientists since 2012.

‹‹

‹‹

‹‹

LIGO GENERATIONS | LSU Physics & Astronomy professors Gabriela Gonzalez and Joseph Giaime, graduate student Anamarie Effler and former graduate students Nutsinee Kijbunchoo and Ryan DeRoswere are among a group of scientists featured in "LIGO Generations," a film that exposes the passion and motivation of scientists who have spent nearly three decades on a single science experiment, and their work to share that passion with the next generation. Photo: (left to right) Postdoc Ryan deRosa, undergrad Nutsinee Kijbunchoo, lab head Joe Giaime, co-founder Rainer Weiss, spokesperson for the LIGO collaboration Gabriela Gonzalez and postdoc Anamaria Effler.

CHEMISTS FOR A CURE | LSU's Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society raised over $1,000 for cancer research throughout the semester. One of their fundraising activities leading up to the university's Relay for Life held April 18, gave students the chance to be placed in a lottery to toss a pie at their professors.

Biochemistry and Spanish major Andrew Mullet is the recipient of the Dr. Saundra Yancy McGuire Outstanding Supplemental Instruction Leader Award.

Investing in RESEARCH | When seven-year-old Bella Bowman was diagnosed with brain cancer in early 2011, it was a rare side effect—brain stem necrosis—from proton radiation treatment that ultimately took her life. In remembrance of their brave little girl, Trey and Kim Bowman established the Bella Bowman Foundation to help families caring for children with brain cancer and further research to better understand how radiation causes necrosis. The Bella Bowman Foundation awarded a $75,000 grant to the LSU Medical Physics program, in partnership with the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, to establish the Bella Bowman Foundation Radiation Necrosis Research Fund to examine the risks of radiation injuries to the brain as a result of proton radiation therapy.

LSU College of Science | 5

Faculty accolades

Manufacturing innovation LSU Faculty Lead Effort to Win $20 Million Grant to Form Louisiana Advanced Manufacturing Consortium The National Science Foundation recently awarded a $20 million grant to the Louisiana Board of Regents to fund the creation of a consortium that will support advanced manufacturing research and initiatives.

The Consortium for Innovation in Manufacturing and Materials, or CIMM, will work over the next five years to advance applications in 3-D metal printing and multi-scale metal forming.

It will draw from a network of state resources—including faculty expertise from five state universities, and centers of excellence like the National Center for Advanced Manufacturing, or NCAM, and the Louisiana Alliance for Simulation-Guided Materials Applications, or LA-SiGMA—to produce new research, develop and diversify the Louisiana workforce and host K-12 educational outreach.

LSU will lead the consortium’s research efforts. Michael Khonsari, Dow Chemical Chair and professor of mechanical engineering, will lead the overall project for the Louisiana Board of Regents, and Wen Jin Meng, the Gerald Cire and Lena Grand Williams Professor of Mechanical Engineering, will serve as the technical lead. Physics Professor Phillip Sprunger is one of three co-principal investigators on the grant. Associate Professor of Physics & Astronomy Juana Moreno and Assistant Professor of Chemistry Louis Haber are among the consortium’s faculty experts.

"The synergy between engineering development and scientific understanding will allow us to address key scientific barriers, 6 | The PURSUIT

accelerate technology development and reduce the time from conceptualization to large-scale production,” said Sprunger.

The consortium—which will be housed in the new, state-of-the-art Manufacturing Central User Facility within Patrick F. Taylor Hall, upon completion of the building’s renovation and expansion—will have a two-part focus: science and technology, and education and outreach.

Within each of those broader categories, there are individual research projects and outreach initiatives that involve collaboration among the five university partners.

Haber’s laboratory in the LSU Department of Chemistry will focus on studying the laser melting process in different metals, alloys, ceramics and nanoparticle samples to improve 3-D printing applications.

“We are especially interested in the ultrafast dynamics where the laser causes the material to melt and resolidify under different laser powers, pulse timescales and wavelengths,” said Haber.

Haber’s team will also collaborate with different CIMM research groups to correlate the laser and sample properties with different characterization measurements and theoretical modeling to learn how to better control laser melting conditions for 3-D printing.

JORGE PULLIN In recognition of his exceptional achievements in research and scholarship, Horace Hearne Chair in Theoretical Physics Jorge Pullin was one of two LSU faculty named Distinguished Research Masters in May. His research is in the area of classical and quantum aspects of general relativity and gravitation. Pullin has also co-authored two books, one of which has been translated into Spanish and Japanese. Each year, an award is given to LSU faculty in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and behavioral sciences and to a faculty member in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. In receiving this award Pullin gets a $2,500 annualized salary supplement, a certificate indicating his Distinguished Research Master status and a university medal. Elisabeth "Lisi" Oliver, LSU English professor who passed away June 7, was awarded the Distinguished Research Master distinction for humanities.

CATHERINE DEIBEL

KENNETH LOPATA Assistant Professor of Chemistry Kenneth Lopata received the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement award from the Oak Ridge Associated Universities, or ORAU. The award provides seed money to support research conducted by junior faculty at ORAU universities.

Lopata’s research focuses on developing fundamental computational simulations of the response of electrons and nuclei in insulating materials when subjected to very intense light, which is crucial for designing tunable electromagnetically hardened materials. He will use the funds to purchase hardware for developing the required prototype software for the project.

Assistant Professor of Physics & Astronomy Catherine Deibel was one of 44 scientists selected from across the nation to receive funding from the Department of Energy Office of Science Early Career Research Program. Grant recipients included 17 from DOE's national laboratories and 27 from U.S. universities.

Deibel is the first at LSU to receive this highly-competitive grant.

JAMES OXLEY Annals of Combinatorics, a journal that publishes outstanding contributions to combinatorial mathematics, dedicated its March issue to James Oxley, LSU System Boyd Professor in Mathematics, on the occasion of his 60th birthday. The focus of the special issue is matroid theory, a subject to which Oxley contributed most of his 140 research papers.

BILL WISCHUSEN LSU has received nearly 20 million from the National Institutes of Health to continue funding for the Louisiana Biomedical Research Network, or LBRN. The coordinator for the program is Bill Wischusen, associate professor of biological sciences. LSU Boyd Professor Thomas R. Klei is the principal investigator.

The LBRN was created in 2001 and has been awarded approximately $55 million over the last decade. Other universities in the region including Louisiana Tech University, LSU Shreveport, Grambling State University, Southern University and A&M College, Southeastern Louisiana University and Xavier University use LBRN’s funding to support undergraduate and graduate research in biomedical related disciplines.

SAM BENTLEY AND KENNETH ROSE In September, Sam Bentley, Billy and Ann Harrison Chair in Sedimentary Geology, and Kenneth Rose, associate dean of research for LSU's School of the Coast and Environment, visited Kerala, India, to establish a collaborative education and research program with the Cochin University of Science and Technology, or CUSAT. Their visit, funded by the Erudite Visiting Scholars Program, was part of an initiative to help elevate coastal research activities at Kerala universities. The Erudite Program is an innovative concept of the Kerala state government to strengthen the research activities of various universities in Kerala.

Through the program, eminent scholars from throughout the world are invited to spend three to ten days at Kerala universities to serve as expert lecturers, and to closely interact with university students, teachers and researchers.

Left to Right: Assistant Professor P. Ajayakumar, CUSAT Department of Marine Geology and Geophysics; Professor A. N. Balchand, head of the CUSAT Department of Physical Oceanography; Sam Bentley; P.K. Dinesh Kumar, senior principal scientist, Indian National Institute of Oceanography; and Kenny Rose.

Faculty accolades

UNEARTHING MINERALS New Mineral Species Named in Honor of LSU Petrologist Darrell Henry A new mineral species has been named for renowned petrologist and LSU Campanile Charities Professor of Geology & Geophysics Darrell Henry. “Darrellhenryite,” a type of tourmaline, holds information that could help scientists reconstruct the overall history of the earth, including mountain building, the formations of basins and even the origins of natural resources like oil, gas and metals.

Henry began studying tourmaline as a side project while examining minerals in rocks from Maine.

“I started working with tourmaline on my own, late at night when I was bored with doing everything else,” said Henry. “People thought that the mineral was a hopeless case, just a gemstone that could be used to make rings.”

But after working with a number of influential crystallographers and petrologers from all over the world, Henry and his colleagues realized that the mineral was able to form into different kinds of rocks taking on the chemical signature of that rock. If read correctly, tourmaline could tell scientists about the journey of a particular rock, which could provide vital information about earth history.

In 1997, Henry was invited to an international meeting in the Czech Republic called “Tourmaline ’97,” which included scientists 8 | The PURSUIT

from all over the world who were interested in understanding more about the mineral. By 2005, the group had devised a systematic way of naming tourmaline group minerals and published an article about their work. Since that time, more than 30 species of tourmaline have been discovered. One of the most recent species, found in a quarry at Nová Ves near Český Krumlov in the Czech Republic, was named “darrellhenryite” in recognition of Henry’s significant contributions to the mineralogy and petrology of the tourmaline supergroup minerals.

A sample of "darrellhenryite," the first mineral ever named after an LSU faculty member.

The type of material has been deposited in the collections of the Department of Mineralogy and Petrography of the Moravian Museum, Brno, Czech Republic, and in the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

Although originally found in the Czech Republic, geoscientists have found darrellhenryites in Maine. There are also additional known darrellhenryites in some of the museums in Europe.

Henry and a team of petrologists and crystallographers from Canada and Japan have also discovered maruyamaite, the first tourmaline species that is both diamond bearing and potassium dominant. Maruyamaite was found in northern Kazakhstan and is named in honor of Shigenori Maruyama, professor in the Earth-Life Science Institute at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan. An article detailing this most recent finding will appear in an upcoming issue of American Mineralogist.

Henry is the first at LSU to have a mineral name in his honor, an outstanding recognition for a career than has spanned 40 years, but he admits that throughout his four decades of work it has been his field work with students that has been the most exciting. “One of the distinct features of geoscientists is breaking down barriers between the students and faculty. In the field we are surrounded by the very thing that we are teaching them. We are surrounded by the geology,� said Henry.

A number of Henry’s students have published papers, given presentations on their research experiences and are now in graduate programs continuing to do great work.

Photos: Top, left to right, Henry shows features in the rocks at a field conference in western Maine in 2006; photographed in the Beartooth Mountains in Montana in 1982; and presenting information at a field conference in western Maine in 2006. Bottom right: Henry gives LSU President F. King Alexander a sneak peek at a sample of "darrellhenryite."

LSU College of Science | 9

stellar students

Shrimp...

IN SPACE?

Physics Major Prepares to Launch New Video Game for Mobile Devices by michelle watson

At age 21, LSU student Craig Jones has done what many computer programmers dream of doing: create a video game. Space Shrimp is aimed at young children to have a fun and unique gaming experience. With the help of design student Michael Morgan making the foundation and logistics for Space Shrimp, Jones’s dream is starting to become a reality.

Jones told Morgan he wanted to make a game, and almost overnight, Morgan came up with the idea for Space Shrimp.

While Morgan came up with the aesthetics, Jones made sure to keep things practical.

Space Shrimp is a tale about a shrimp named Grub who’s desperately trying to get back to his significant other Shwil. Grub, a space dwelling shrimp that is lost in space, is forced to face a variety of obstacles to get back to his beloved.

A lot of what Jones does is put what Morgan designed into a visible concept. Jones develops the framework, mechanics, and level development and makes sure it matches Morgan’s vision.

A lot more goes into making a game than most would expect.

Jones always knew he wanted to solve problems. At the young age of four, Jones was interested in how things worked. His curiosity and inquiry about problem solving would develop into a love for physics. By age 11, Jones caught the computer science bug and had a knack for pulling things apart and putting them back together.

Everything that’s on the screen is there for a reason. This means someone had an idea, someone designed the idea, someone drew the idea, and someone made the idea a reality. For example, if someone wanted to place a tree in the game, they can’t just say “put a tree there,” said Jones. “It’s not that easy.” It takes time and effort to create each item shown in the video game, including sound.

Double majoring in physics and computer science, Jones’s idea for a video game came from a digital media class he took at LSU last summer. After realizing he wanted to make a game, Jones enlisted help from Morgan, his lead design student on the team.

“He’s been designing games, probably since before he could walk,” Jones said.

10 | The PURSUIT

“I’m the person who tells people no,” laughs Jones, “I tell all the designers no because they like coming up with crazy stuff, and you can’t do some of the stuff.” Jones has been developing for ten years, and has a good idea of what’s doable and what’s not.

The game is made of five major themes and in each theme there are multiple levels. Before the game launches, Jones plans to release a video that explains the storyline of the game in an effort to illicit some emotion in the player.

Earlier this month, Craig and his team gave a public demonstration of Space Shrimp at a Pop! Smart Show, an exhibit

that blends visual and performing arts with a unique mix of interactive media and technology.

professionals, working on his Space Shrimp dream. His team is a mixture of artists, designers and programmers.

"We had a four-level demo loaded onto six tablets and let anyone who wanted to play the game do so at the event. About 100 people played it, everyone loved it, and we got a ton of excellent feedback," said Jones.

The goal with Space Shrimp is to have a game that’s fun to play, to create something that Jones and his team are proud of and can put on their resumes, and gain professional experience. If this endeavor is successful, Jones and his team would like to continue creating games.

The goal of the game is to get through all five themes, and all five levels. What happens as the player goes through the game, Jones has left a mystery.

Jones never forgets the reason why he began creating the game in the first place.

“We’re being very vague with the storyline on purpose,” said Jones.

In most video games Jones feels they share too much, showcasing all the highlights and surprises in the video trailer. By doing that, it leaves very little for the players to get excited about.

Jones currently has a team of 12 people working on Space Shrimp, along with four corporate partners. He has students, as well as

“I’m a developer; I love building things, I don’t care too much about what I build, as long as it’s an interesting problem,” said Jones, “This is what I do for fun, I don’t go out much.”

This video game is compatible with ios and android phones and will be available through the Google play store and the App store. By spring 2016, Space Shrimp will be available for $2.99 across phone platforms.

where are they now?

by Pink thamdorn

DANTE JOHNSON,

HUNTER CHAPMAN

biochemistry graduate, May 2015

biology graduate with a minor in chemistry, May 2012

Dante Johnson was the LSU student featured on the cover of the 2012 edition of The Pursuit. At that time, she was a sophomore chemistry major working in the laboratory of George Stanley, alumni professor in the Department of Chemistry. Quite a bit has changed since 2012. Johnson changed her major from chemistry to biochemistry and has amassed a very impressive resume of research experiences, including work at the New York Memorial Sloan Kettering Center through LSU's Howard Hughes Medical Institute program and an on-campus research experience in the laboratory of Anne Grove, Gregory Cannaday Burns Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. Johnson also spent a semester studying Irish culture as a part of a spring semester exchange program with the National University of Ireland, Maynooth.

Johnson graduated from LSU with a degree in biochemistry last May. Prior to graduation, she was recruited by SE Johnson's Research, Development and Engineering division.

"Research is still my life," said Johnson. "The biggest change I wanted to make was to add a business aspect to my science degree so that I am prepared to be more of an entrepreneur."

The former La-STEM and Honors College scholar was extremely grateful for the academic guidance she received from the LSU Office of Strategic Initiatives staff, which managed the La-STEM program.

Though the funding for the program has expired, the impact of the mentoring and training she received still remains.

"It was not only the academic support I received, but also the mental and emotional encouragement that helped me turn negatives into positives. I am forever grateful to the OSI staff for their help," said Johnson.

Hunter Chapman won the 2012 International Award for Supplemental Instruction.

Chapman bested supplemental instruction leaders from across the globe for the honor.

Today, Chapman is a third year student at Southern College of Optometry and is president of the American Optometric Student Association, which has a membership of more than 6,500, representing 97 percent of all optometry students in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada.

Chapman has kept quite busy since leaving LSU. He was recognized

by Governor Bobby Jindal for helping enact a bill to allow optometrists to perform particular eye surgeries that were once limited to ophthalmologists.

“It was the College of Science that has helped me find success inside and out of the academic curriculum,” said Chapman.

Initially, Chapman majored in biological sciences with the intent of going to medical school, but after shadowing optometrists in Baton Rouge, he set his sights on optometry. Chapman plans to have his own optometry practice, making him a fourth generation optometrist—his great grandfather started an optical dispensary in Monroe that has been passed down through his family.

Though he is enjoying optometry school, Chapman admits that he misses LSU, especially during football season.

"When you walk on the LSU campus, there is a profound sense of belonging. I miss teaching as an SI leader and the camaraderie among the students, but what I miss most, is the excitement of LSU football," LSU College of Science | 9 said Chapman.

CAMD

Louisiana’s Premier Facility for Synchrotron Radiation Research

LSU is home to one of the most advanced technologies that any scientist could ask for. The J. Bennett Johnston Sr. Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices, or CAMD, houses the only state-funded synchrotron radiation research center in the U.S. With only seven synchrotron radiation facilities in the U.S., CAMD is bringing cutting edge capabilities to LSU. While this facility provides many other tools that can be used for research, the star is the 1.3 Ge electron storage ring that is used for synchrotron radiation. This one piece of equipment attracts people worldwide.

The electron storage ring, put simply, accelerates electrons to nearly the speed of light. When the electron’s trajectory is bent by a magnetic field, it emits synchrotron radiation – a really bright light, about a million times brighter than the sun. Built to pursue science research and discovery, CAMD has attracted physicists, chemists, geologists, and biologists from Brazil, Japan, and all over Europe.

12 | The PURSUIT

by michelle watson

Anyone is allowed to come and use CAMD whether it be students, faculty or staff. In the past five years more than 120 undergraduate students and nearly 150 researchers from LSU, industry and national labs have utilized CAMD. Richard Kurtz, LSU physics professor and interim CAMD director, said that one special aspect of CAMD is that students can be trained in these advanced STEM scientific techniques as opposed to other facilities where limited access also means limited training.

Most of the faculty and staff that come to do research at CAMD use the light produced by CAMD’s synchrotron radiation for research and experiments to characterize various materials. The CAMD facility produces a broad spectrum of light which differs from normal x-ray machines that produce a limited spectrum. At CAMD, researchers are able to use all kinds of light ranging from visible light, to infrared light, all the way to hard X-Rays. Because of the range of light the synchrotron produces, CAMD attracts all types of scientists to use it for their research.

Marcia Newcomer, George C. Kent Professor in LSU's Department of Biological Sciences, studied enzymes by using the x-rays produced by CAMD. By utilizing the light at CAMD, Newcomer was able to determine the 3D structure of molecules.

The synchrotron light created at CAMD is used in four major research areas: for energy, for the environment, for biomedical research and for microfabrication. First, synchrotron light can be used for energy discovery and development. Synchrotron light has been used to find new ways to develop catalysts that engineers can use to create liquid fuels from gases like CO2.

Secondly, synchrotron light can be used to measure, manage, and characterize the amount and kinds of toxic waste being released into the environment. In other words, CAMD can be used to help understand and remediate environmental issues. In many cases the experiments done at CAMD for environment and energy research overlap.

Thirdly, synchrotron light can be used to develop new medical and biomedical techniques. Biologists come to CAMD to figure out how a molecule functions in its purest form. Some biologists come to get a better understanding of the structure of proteins and enzymes using CAMD’s high-powered X-Rays, and knowing these structures they can develop new drugs that can change their function. In another application, the LSU medical physics research team is working to develop a more effective technique for cancer therapy using X-rays.

Lastly, this light can help better understand the process of making micro machines. CAMD has transformed machines the size of a dinner table to the size of a thumb. Physicist and Nobel Laureate David Wineland even uses a CAMD microstructure in his research to build better atomic clocks and to find new methods for quantum information storage. With the growing discovery and technology of nanoscience and nanotechnology, CAMD is also being used as a nanofabrication facility.

With an annual operating budget of just over $3 million, CAMD opens new opportunities for LSU faculty to be funded by academic grants, state and federal funds and industry contributions. In 2014, LSU Chemistry Professor Les Butler was awarded a $500,000 grant from the Keck Foundation to develop a new method of X-ray imaging. It is grants like these that keep LSU and the state on the forefront of science and technology.

The center has flourished despite budget cuts sustained when the economy faltered. CAMD has made significant contributions to Louisiana’s economic development due, in part, to the start-up companies that emerged from CAMD research. There have also been industrial users from more than 15 companies attracted to CAMD’s facility including Exxon Mobil, Sasol and Albermarle.

CAMD is currently staffed by 23 people who operate the accelerator, but also take time out of their day to give tours to the general public. Many tours are given to children from schools around Louisiana for educational field trips.

Students from Southern University and A&M College tour CAMD

summer in the Marvel classic “Fantastic Four.” The facility was used as the location for Baxter Labs, the meeting place and laboratory for a child prodigy before the team was transformed into the “Fantastic Four.” Since its appearance in the movie, other filmmakers have expressed interest in using the facility in upcoming productions.

CAMD has made its impact internationally as well. In 2012, the center hosted and organized the International Particle Accelerator Conference, or IPAC, an annual conference where scientists from across the world come to interact and exchange ideas about research and accelerator technology. It was a perfect fit for CAMD to host. After establishing a long term commitment to this scientific organization, the staff at CAMD was able to host IPAC in New Orleans, making it the first IPAC conference held in the U.S. The impacts of CAMD are immeasurable. Since its creation, the center has helped advance the careers of numerous LSU faculty, solidify industry support and expand the university's economic impact in Louisiana. For the professors at LSU, CAMD’s proximity to campus makes it a valuable tool that can be used for research without having to travel across the country.

“It’s easy access to a state-of-the-art data collection facility,” said Newcomer.

CAMD’s efforts have made LSU a much more competitive school, by continuously improving its reputation and contributing to the world of research and science.

CAMD's reach has also extended beyond research to have an impact on today's popular culture. The center made its theatrical debut last

For the professors at LSU, CAMD’s proximity to campus makes it a valuable tool that can be used for research without having to travel across the country.

LSU College of Science | 11

College of

Science

new leadership

new vision great Expectations Dean Peterson Reflects on her First Year at LSU and Plans for the Future For more than a century, the LSU College of Science has been a key ingredient in LSU’s recipe for success. One of the university’s major research hubs with more than $27 million in external research support, the college has over 200 faculty and more than 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Moreover, the college is the first stop for all LSU students in their academic journey.

Regardless of their majors, first-year Tigers experience science labs and lectures and test their acumen in math classes as part of the general education requirements for all students.

The college is integral to LSU’s mission to recruit, retain and graduate top students, and fundamental to meeting a national charge to produce more globally competitive graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. As the university continues to grow to meet the human resource needs of the state and nation, the College of Science is also evolving and progressing.

Last August, Cynthia Peterson was named dean of the college, the first woman to ever hold the position.

14 | The PURSUIT

“It is a very proud role for me. One of the things that I decided coming into this job was that I was just going to be myself, which has worked great,” said Peterson, dean and Seola Arnaud and Richard Vernon Edwards Jr. Professor. “I bring a sincere interest in supporting our faculty and students who are working at the cutting edges of new knowledge. Likewise, I aim to promote the scientific pursuit and improve scientific literacy among lay people.”

A 1979 graduate of the LSU biochemistry program, Peterson brings more than 25 years experience as a researcher and faculty member, an impressive resume of higher education administrative experience and a new vision for the college that will build on its legacy of achievement and open new doors for an even more progressive academic and research experience.

“It has been really fun to be in a place that holds such familiarity for me, but it is even more exciting to see the growth and expansion that has taken place,” said Peterson.

Both of Peterson’s parents were LSU graduates. Her father, Robert Belcher, is one of the many fallen heroes of the Armed Forces memorialized on the LSU War Memorial in front of Memorial Tower.

two graduate training grants, one funded by the National Science Foundation and another supported by the National Institutes for Health.

A major change since her time as an LSU student is the existence of the College of Science.

Peterson sees herself as an advocate for the faculty and students in the College of Science to help facilitate their research, teaching, mentoring and learning.

“When I was in school, the College of Science was scattered in different units. It is great to have all of the science departments working together under one umbrella,” said Peterson.

“We must stake our claim as leaders in science for national education and literacy initiatives and high-impact research that paves the way for the future,” said Peterson.

“Today, we are the center for science and mathematics in Louisiana and our graduates are leaders in medicine, business, energy and technology throughout the southeast region.”

Among her top priorities for the college, are increasing the number of underrepresented minority faculty and students in the college, advancing the college’s research pursuits and fostering a culture of philanthropy.

Peterson was able to step into a variety of leadership roles early in her academic career. She was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, before assuming an assistant professor position at the University of Tennessee in 1992. She was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 1997 and to full professor in 2002. Peterson also served as the associate dean of academic personnel in the UT College of Arts and Sciences.

A passionate advocate for graduate education, Peterson was director of the graduate program in Genome Science and Technology, a joint program between UT and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and associate director of the National Institute for Mathematics and Biological Synthesis. She was also the project principal on

Peterson admits that she has given a lot of thought to the “leaky diversity pipeline” and has some ideas about how to improve diversity at LSU. “The student body at LSU is much more diverse than it was when I was a student,” said Peterson, “but, there is still more work to be done.”

Presently, the College of Science has a Diversity Committee, comprised of representatives from each of the college’s five departments that makes recommendations for actions that will increase diversity and diversity awareness among the college’s

“We must stake our claim as leaders in science for national education and literacy initiatives and highimpact research that paves the way for the future.”

faculty. Peterson is taking initial steps to establish a diversity office for science that will help expand the pool of applicants for vacant faculty positions and increase recruitment efforts aimed at attracting minority students. Peterson is also helping launch a universitywide pilot project to fund tenure-track positions with the goal of attracting underrepresented minority faculty.

The college continues to be the premier research institution in the region with a number of stellar research facilities on campus or nearby. It leads the university in bringing in grant dollars for research and in graduate education.

“I am really proud of our focus on undergraduate research. That focus has grown a lot since I was an undergraduate. Last year alone, we had more than 400 students involved in undergraduate research,” said Peterson.

Peterson plans to capitalize on the college’s research strengths and build bridges to other units across campus like the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, the Pennington Biomedical Research Center and the LSU Office of Research and Economic Development. These collaborations will further expand the cross-disciplinary research opportunities available to College of Science faculty and students.

Fundraising also ranks among Peterson’s top priorities. Throughout the year, she can be found meeting with alumni, donors and corporate partners to help secure more private support for the college.

“I am fully aware that public institutions like ours are operating on streamlined budgets. The state dollars that we have become 16 | The PURSUIT

accustomed to receiving are no longer available,” said Peterson. “We have to create a culture of philanthropy that allows us to maximize our alumni and donor support to accomplish our educational goals.”

The college’s fundraising goals include increasing membership in the Dean’s Circle, alumni and friends who give $1,000 or more annually, garnering additional funds to support scholarships for top performing students, securing funds to support high-achieving graduate students and leveraging state funds to attract outstanding faculty.

Dean Peterson has also set in motion a planning exercise to help the college assess its facility needs. She and a cross-departmental team are working with a national firm to evaluate the college’s existing spaces and begin discussions that will dovetail with the university’s master plan currently underway.

Overall, Peterson has put forth a clear 2020 vision for the LSU College of Science and holds great expectations for her alma mater.

Her plans will undoubtedly keep the college vibrant and engaged in research on high-impact problems using state-of-the-art approaches and technologies.

“In ten years, we will be working in remodeled and new spaces that adequately reflect and facilitate our research prowess and teaching effectiveness,” said Peterson.

“Our majors at the undergraduate and graduate levels will be prepared as adaptive learners and global citizens in a rapidly changing world, and we will continue to be a resource for our state and region, positively influencing science literacy and college readiness at large.”

excellence

in action John Lynn Professor Emeritus in Biological Sciences

The legacy of LSU’s College of Science resides in the commitment and hard work of hundreds of faculty, staff, students and alumni. This special group holds the progress and interests of the college at heart, and have dedicated their time and talents to ensuring its success. For the last three decades this special group of people has included John Lynn, Biological Sciences Professor Emeritus and former associate dean of academic services in the College of Science.

Throughout his tenure, Lynn has taught, mentored and advised thousands of LSU students, served on countless numbers of committees, task forces and review teams, and has written and contributed to a variety of grants and research programs.

“John has been a valuable asset to the college’s leadership team. His work ethic, extensive knowledge of LSU processes and procedures and unwavering commitment to his students, staff and colleagues are what made him such a integral part of the College of Science,” said Cynthia Peterson, dean and Seola Arnaud and Richard Vernon Edwards Jr. Professor.

Lynn came to LSU in 1984 as a member of the biological sciences faculty. Oddly, biology was not his first career choice.

“I started out as an engineering major,” said Lynn. “I always liked biology, but I was really interested in chemical and electrical engineering.”

Lynn chose a different route after receiving a C in a physics course.

“My physics instructor said, ‘You got a C; It’s the third highest grade in the class.’ That’s when I knew engineering was not the career for me, so I switched to biology.”

A native of Wichita Falls, Texas, Lynn earned a bachelor’s of science degree in biology from the University of Houston in 1974, followed by a masters of science in biology in 1977 and a PhD from the University of California, Davis in 1981. Lynn worked as a postdoctoral research at the University of Miami Medical School from 1981-84 and joined the biological sciences faculty at LSU not long after.

“I applied for a lot of different positions after graduation and received offers from LSU and Hawaii,” said Lynn. “I didn’t want to be stuck on an island, plus the offer at LSU was much better.”

Lynn retired from LSU last summer and holds many fond memories from his 30 years on campus, but the most memorable was the evening that he was awarded the George Kent Professorship. In addition to the professorship, Lynn holds two patents and has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers.

An accomplished scholar and expert in reproductive physiology, Lynn’s research focuses on early events in fertilization in large animals and invertebrates. Lynn’s major professor at the University of Houston, Dr. Wallis Clark, helped spark his interest in reproduction. Another mentor that had a significant impact on Lynn was his post doctoral mentor Dr. Edward Chambers at the University of Miami Medical School.

“He was a very special man and I don’t recall him saying a harsh word about anyone. He would review the graduate posters and rather than criticize the student, he would ask questions that would make them think. It was a gift,” said Lynn, who worked to have the same positive influence on his students.

Lynn was named associate dean of academic services in 2012 where he supervised the college’s Office of Student Services. This role was a great fit for Lynn, a consummate advocate for students. He also helmed LSU’s Howard Hughes Medical Institute program.

“Dr. Lynn has a passion for research, teaching and helping students.

Students enjoyed his popular course, Developmental Biology and for over 20 years, he demonstrated his strong advocacy for students by serving as a member of the Premedical-Predental Review Committee. Dr. Lynn has had a hand in thousands of students reaching their professional career goals,” said Martha Cedotal, senior associate dean for student services.

Despite all of his professional accomplishments, his greatest achievements are marrying his wife Barbara, raising his two daughters and restoring his 1957 Chevy, which took 16 years with weekend work only.

In retirement, Lynn plans to travel and maybe even do a little fishing, but acknowledges that he will always reflect fondly on his time at LSU. “I looked at other places, but I thought that I had a great thing here, so I decided to stay with the people I enjoyed working with,” said Lynn.

LSU College of Science | 17

and

Examining The Collapse of an Empire Scientists Use Climate Records to Explain Downfall of Maya Civilization Drought, famine, deforestation, overpopulation…

Over the years, scientists have put forth many hypotheses to explain the collapse of the Maya society. Once one of the world’s greatest civilizations, geologists, archeologists, climatologists and other experts have spent an extensive amount of time and effort to determine how this society with a population of roughly 15 million people disappeared.

Sam Bentley, director of LSU’s Coastal Studies Institute and Billy and Ann Harrison Chair in Sedimentary Geology, Geology PhD student Kathryn Denommee, and Andre Droxler, director of Rice University’s Center for the Study of Environment and Society, garnered national attention for their work, which offers what could be the most definitive explanation to date of the Maya’s downfall.

In 2009, the researchers collected a series of cores from the Lighthouse Reef Blue Hole in Belize and the Elbow Caye Lagoon located behind the main barrier reef in the Belize Central Shelf Lagoon. After careful analysis of a core from Elbow Caye, the scientists were able to establish a proximal paleo precipitation record to the Mayan Mountains based on the variations of Titanium/ Aluminum ratio, or Ti/Al, in the past 1300 years. The team 18 | The PURSUIT

compared their findings with contemporaneous Lighthouse tropical cyclone offshore records and Belize cave paleo precipitation records, which confirmed that climate change was responsible for the Mayans demise.

The bottom of Belize’s Blue Hole, a hot spot for recreational divers, provides a nearly pristine sedimentary picture of the climate fluctuations in that region. Located in the middle of a very shallow and fragile coral reef island, the Blue Hole is approximately 600 feet wide and 300 feet deep and can only be accessed by a small boat—in this instance a small boat with a crew of five, plus heavy specialized coring gear. The team used a submersible vibrocore with an electric motor that clamped to the top of a 20-foot core pipe that was lowered vertically until it reached the bottom of the hole.

Bentley describes the Blue Hole as a bucket that sits on top of a reef, and when a storm comes along, storm waves push in a layer of sediment that sifts down to the bottom. The water at the bottom of the Blue Hole has no oxygen, so there are no crabs or shrimp there to stir up the layers. So, every year, with changing seasons, there are two identifiable layers of sediment that are deposited and interspersed with less frequent storm layers.

“We were able to core down to one of the layers that was 1200 years old,” said Bentley.

This project is part of a widespread study by Kam-Biu Liu, chair and professor in the LSU Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, to examine how climate change affects large-scale patterns of hurricane approach.

“There are ideas that some climate conditions will push hurricanes more towards the North American coast and other climate conditions will push toward the Caribbean basin. At that time, there was no information on the long-term record of Caribbean hurricane strikes, so we only had half the picture.

We had the North American picture, but not the Central American and Caribbean picture, which was the initial objective of the project,” said Bentley.

Their work resulted in a record of storms in the area, rainfall and river flow, all of which documented one fact that they already knew— hurricanes are a primary source for rainfall in the area and when hurricanes stop, rain stops.

“What we found is a period of low hurricane frequencies and low runoff from the land during a time when the Mayan Empire had grown significantly,” said Bentley. “Our study identified both hurricanes and river runoffs as the phenomena that contributed to a large-scale problem.”

Previous studies suggested the climatic phenomena was localized and related to the peculiarity of the Belize and Yucatan Peninsula region. After comparing their studies to the hurricane patterns of prehistoric records across Eastern and Northern America, the researchers concluded that it was a basin-wide phenomenon coupling climatic processes from New England to the Central Caribbean area.

Denommee submitted the team’s findings to Scientific Reports in June 2013. The paper “Climatic Controls on Hurricane Patterns: A 1200-year Annual Record from Lighthouse Reef, Belize” was published in January 2014. Denommee managed the submission, publishing and editing of the journal manuscript. A key contributor to the team, Denommee also analyzed the cores and dated all of the individual layers.

Bentley views their findings as a cautionary tale and reminder that we could be subject to the same climate issues that plagued the Mayan society. In an interview with the LSU Reveille, Bentley noted that our use of resources in a nonsustainable way could leave us just as vulnerable as the Mayas.

Bentley asserts that their work with the Blue Hole cores is not over. “We have really just scratched the surface of the information there.”

The team has not assessed the chemistry of the cores, which could provide more valuable insight into other types of phenomena such as volcanic eruptions in the southeast to the Caribbean. So, future plans include expanding analysis of the cores to examine oceanographic processes that could determine if there was any evidence of changing circulation patterns in the oceans that could be driving hurricane production.

Bentley is grateful to his student researchers for their contributions to the project. Currently, there are eleven graduate students and nine undergraduates working in the Bentley Laboratory.

“Students are a key part of everything I do.

Postdocs are great, technicians are wonderful, but we are in the business of training students,” said Bentley.

Top photo: Section of a core taken from the The Blue Hole shows how easy it is to recognize a story deposit. Pay close attention to the coarse shelly layer at 223-226 cm depth.

Bottom photo: Sam Bentley, Kathryn Denommee and undergraduate Justin Dawe use a submersible vibrocore with an electric motor attached to a 20-foot pipe to take core samples in Elbow Caye Lagoon in Belize.

LSU Chemistry Professor Creates Multi-Use Quick Cure Clay

by michelle watson

The next greatest clay invention may have already made its entrance into the mainstream. With five times the strength than other overcured polymer clays, 3P QuickCure clay is slowly starting to make a name for itself. Despite being originally designed to do quick home repairs, 3P QuickCure clay can be used for a variety of items. It can be sanded, drilled, machined and painted.

glass blowers would be able to use the same mold over and over again without having to make a new one.

Macromolecular chemist and LSU professor John Pojman first came up with the idea for a quick putty substance when he wanted to fix some holes on the floor around the house. While making his concoction for fast wood repairs, an art student named Jessica Nelson, became interested in what other things 3P QuickCure clay could be used for and began working with Pojman.

“Artists can be limited by what’s available to them. Whenever there’s a new product on the market, they can do more. New products allow artists to do new things,” said Pojman.

What makes this 3P QuickCure clay so unique, is that it allows for quicker creation of sculptures and design projects that artists would otherwise have to use. For example, many artists are accustomed to using a kiln, a specialized oven for baking and hardening pottery.

With Pojman’s clay, the baking of a sculpture is not needed. An artist can purchase a simple heat gun for less than $25 and have their sculpture hardened in as little as a minute.

According to Pojman, 3P QuickCure Clay is a proprietary mixture of inorganic components and acrylates. The acrylates polymerize into a rigid network when heated and releases additional heat that allows the process to be self-sustaining. The compounds are similar to those used in dental fillings, which makes it a strong substance.

Pojman has conducted demonstrations across the nation to show people how strong 3P QuickCure clay is and how fast it dries. The most unique demonstration to date is one that Pojman did at a glass blowing facility in New Orleans creating a mold that could be used over and over. Most glass blowing molds are made of wood or metal.

Typically, when the glass is blown into the mold, heat expands, and the mold breaks. This usually means that the glass blower has to make a new mold each time.

Pojman used his 3P QuickCure clay to make a mold. He wanted to see if it would break after using it only once. The results were gamechanging for glass blowers. The mold didn’t break - meaning that the 20 | The PURSUIT

For the artists that have used 3P QuickCure clay, Pojman has realized that the connection between art and science is stronger than he expected.

This is true when looking at the history of the paint industry. Acrylic paint was not made until the 1940s. Before then, painters used oil paint or watercolor paint. It wasn’t until acrylic paint was made that artists were able to manipulate the thickness of paint by just adding water. The famous Campbell soup paintings made by Andy Warhol would have never been made if it weren’t for the creation of acrylic paint. With the creation of new paints, come the creation of new types of art. With the creation of 3P QuickCure clay comes endless possibilities for sculpting and designing.

During the formative phase of 3P QuickCure clay, many art students worked with Pojman’s product to create innovative art that could stand up vertically on its own. Students at McKinley Magnet school in Baton Rouge have been using 3P QuickCure clay for art projects.

In recent months, Pojman is focusing on perfecting the clay. He’s found that the clay doesn’t stick to certain things. Through working with LSU professor Qinglin Wu, an expert on wood polymer composites, Pojman is learning what makes his clay not stick as well to certain objects. Throughout his expansion process, he’s had to learn more about the business side of producing and marketing the clay all while keeping the costs down.

With his product already in stores in New Orleans and New Mexico, Pojman hopes to get 3P QuickCure clay on shelves across the world.

He wants to keep the business, however, strictly American made and plans to hire LSU chemistry students to work with him. Pojman plans wants to work with local hardware stores in Louisiana to sell 3P QuickCure clay and then expand. At $20 a pound 3P QuickCure clay is changing the clay game forever.

Astrophysicists Lead U.S. Science Team's International Space Station Experiment

Exploring the galaxy LSU astrophysicists are helping lead an international space exploration effort to contribute new knowledge to our understanding of high-energy cosmic rays. In August, scientists from the U.S., Japan and Italy joined forces for a successful launch of the CALorimetric Electron Telescope, or CALET, from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. LSU Physics & Astronomy Professors John Wefel, Greg Guzik and Mike Cherry served as leads for the U.S. Science Team.

“CALET is an experiment to measure very high energy cosmic rays coming from elsewhere in the galaxy. Cosmic rays are some of the only samples we have of matter from outside the solar system and we’d like to understand where that material comes from and how it’s accelerated to very high energies,” said John Wefel, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Physics & Astronomy.

The prime goal of the mission is to measure electrons at very high energies, moving essentially at the speed of light. Professor Shoji Torii from Waseda University in Shinjuku, Tokyo, is the overall project principal investigator of this CALET instrument. Waseda University is the lead institution on the experiment, whose design and construction took over a decade.

The LSU team was made up of close to a dozen researchers, undergraduate and graduate students and one post doctoral researcher. Other institutional members of the U.S. collaboration include Washington University in St. Louis, University of Denver and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The U.S. groups are funded by NASA to work on the operations, the data analysis and

by michelle watson

the science interpretation. Wefel serves as the U.S. spokesperson.

LSU is in charge of data collection and will send the data to the other U.S. groups. Japan and Italy will analyze the data separately to ensure that everyone gets the same results.

“This [mission] developed out of decades of work,” said Mike Cherry, chair and Roy Paul Daniels Professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy. “There have been several experiments leading up to this including one series of high altitude balloon flights led by LSU a number of years ago. Those balloon flights and many other experiments have shown us that there’s an unexpected number of electrons at very high energies, and we’d like to confirm that result.

And see where they’re [electrons] coming from.”

“The experiment is designed especially to look for electrons, which are 2,000 times lighter than protons. Because they’re so light, they radiate their energy away quickly and can’t travel far to get to us," said Greg Guzik, professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy. “That means that if we see very high electrons, they must be coming from nearby. Astrophysically, nearby still might be a few thousand light-years away.”

CALET is set for a five-year mission. CALET updates and video of the launch can be seen on NASA’s website and the LSU CALET website at http://calet.phys.lsu.edu. The experiment is led by Japan, and is also funded by the Japanese Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency.

LSU College of Science | 21

Life on

Mars

Geology Faculty, Students Work to Uncover Proof of Life on Mars by michelle watson and Pink thamdorn

W

ith increasing urgency, scientists across the world are working to unearth clues to prove that at one time, life may have existed on Mars. Antiquated ideas of little green men have been tossed aside as experts analyze and verify data that suggests that billions of years ago, Mars may have had lakes and oceans, a far cry from the planet’s present desolate appearance. LSU scientists are contributing to the growing Mars knowledge bank with a variety of research activities aimed at proving the existence of life on the Red Planet.

Suniti Karunatillake, LSU assistant professor in geology & geophysics, founded LSU’s first Planetary Science Laboratory, or PSL, in 2013. Since that time, the laboratory has begun a number of robust projects to address a diversity of outstanding questions relative to Martian geoscience (i.e. areology).

“I identify geochemical signatures of aqueous, igneous, and aeolian processes on Mars by exploiting the complementary nature of orbital, regional and local scale, and in situ microscale observations,” said Karunatillake.

Studying the mars soil has been a crucial point in exploring the possibilities or remnants of life on Mars.

“Martian soil is the repository of interactions between the Martian atmosphere and crust over geologic time,” said Karunatillake. “Understanding the structure and composition of soil, particularly at depths greater than ~15 cm, will shed insight into the habitability of Martian soil.” This was highlighted recently by a PSL-led paper on “Sulfates hydrating bulk soil in the Martian low and middle latitudes,” published in Geophysical Research Letters.

Karunatillake dedicates his time modeling geological processes that can yield current compositional and morphological aspects of the martian crust. He currently

22 | The PURSUIT

has a team of five undergraduate students and three doctoral students conducting research at PSL. The team’s former postdoctoral scientist, J.R. Skok, continues to contribute from his new position at SETI. These young researchers are making significant contributions to the understanding of Mars.

David Susko, a recent LSU geology graduate and current PhD student studying under Professor Karunatillake, was the principle investigator for the Mars Ice Deposit Detection by Application of Seismology, or MIDDAS, team, that was committed to getting LSU to Mars. The team participated in the Mars One payload competition, an event sponsored by Mars One, an organization committed to establishing the first human settlement on Mars.

The team consisted of seven LSU undergraduates majoring in geology, engineering, physics, computer science and art & design, who banded together to develop a payload that could have potentially been a part of an anticipated Mars One funded trip to the Red Planet in 2024.

“I have to say it was a really awesome experience,” said Susko, principal investigator for the MIDDAS team.

“Essentially our plan was to utilize a seismic experiment

by LSU geology professor Juan Lorenzo, as the initial base concept for our scientific instrument, and modify it to be able to detect layers of ice beneath the surface of Mars.”

The MIDDAS team placed in the top ten of the international competition, but did not take the top prize.

Susko was also among a team of student researchers in the PSL that traveled to Hawaii to collect data that could help further their understanding of the Mars landscape. The geology of Hawaii, particularly of its active volcanoes, present compelling analogs to martian counterparts, making it a go-to spot for scientists involved in Mars related research. The group sought specific insight from pit crater processes, fluid dynamics in lava tubes, and variations in lava flows as a function of time.

Over the course of five days the students examined Hawaii as though they were examining the terrain of Mars. By going to the Jaggar Museum, they gained a better understanding of Hawaii’s landscape. The students took samples of lava, some of which were over 100,000 years old, and stayed in the Mauna Key Observatory Visitors Center overnight where they were able to see Mercury, Venus and Mars aligned together in the sky at once.

This further enhanced the sense of exploring beyond Earth.

LSU faculty and students are making significant contributions to what we know about the possibility of life on Mars, in the context of geochemical processes in its soil and crust. The PSL is positioning itself to be a key player in the national conversation about the possibility of life on the Red Planet.

For Karunatillake the process of exploring Mars is lengthy but worth it.

Support by a Louisiana Space Grant Research Enhancement Award enabled related research in prospecting for volatiles with neutron spectroscopy in the Mojave desert the NASA-funded Mojave Volatile Prospector team. This may even expand PSL’s research scope to the Moon. Adding to the research diversity, NASA Mars Data Analysis funding enabled recent PSL-led development of computer vision methods to classify martian soil, such as “A Martian case study of segmenting images automatically for granulometry and sedimentology.” Lastly, the broadness of inter-institutional collaborations led to discoveries both on “Spectral Constraints on the Formation Mechanism of Recurring Slope Lineae” and on “Preserved Filamentous Microbial Biosignatures in the Brick Flat Gossan, Iron Mountain, California,” with immediate relevance to habitability.

Susko is also excited for what the future holds for Mars and other planetary exploration efforts.

“In a few years I hope to have my PhD and I hope to be doing some sort of planetary research,” Susko said, “I do plan on applying to NASA’s astronaut corps someday, because who doesn’t dream of being an astronaut?”

“Professor Lorenzo and I are proposing to NASA the possibility of using shallow seismic sensing as a way to quantify the depth of ground ice on Mars,” said Karunatillake, “This would develop an instrument for use with future NASA missions.”

Top photo: The MIDDAS team (back row, left to right) Robert Sparkman, Ryan Denoux, Don Hood, Haggai Davis, (front row, left to right) Nicki Button, David Susko and Taylor Judice Top photo by Nick Bejeaux, Dig Baton Rouge

Left photo: Suniti Karunatillake, LSU assistant professor in geology & geophysics and Nicki Button, doctoral student in geology

LSU College of Science | 23

Exploring Marine Life at the Micro Level Examining the Impact of Microbial Communities on the Gulf

J. Cameron Thrash, assistant professor, biological sciences

T

he world we live in is made up of millions upon millions of tiny organisms, and though too small to be seen by the naked eye, these miniscule living things are responsible for many of the most fundamental processes on our planet. J. Cameron Thrash and the researchers in the award-winning Thrash Laboratory are interested in understanding these microorganisms and their contributions to biochemical cycles in the Gulf. These microbial communities directly impact many things that people care about, including seed fisheries and coastal restoration.

“In the Gulf, we have a massive influx of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds from the Mississippi River due to farmland runoff.

Microbial communities primarily deal with these nutrients and this affects upstream food webs like fisheries and everything else,” said Thrash. “Anytime we have issues with farmland runoff, oil spills and other petroleum issues, the microorganisms are the first ones dealing with these compounds.”

Understanding the importance of this work to the Gulf, the Louisiana Board of Regents, or BoR, has awarded Thrash a 24 | The PURSUIT

$129,750 BoR Competitiveness Subprogram grant to establish LSU’s first microbial culture collection.

The project supports a survey of seven sights along the southern coast of Louisiana over a three-year period. Thrash and his team are collecting raw sequence information to assess how well their cultivation efforts reflect the natural communities that are there.

They began collecting samples last summer and in that time have already isolated more than 100 microorganisms, at least two of which are strains representing whole new families of marine

bacteria. The group also hopes to find organisms valuable to industry and pharmaceutical companies.

process works, the more we will be able to come up with complete solutions for making it better.”

“As we refine our technique and adapt to the environment that we are working in, we are going to pull out considerably more novel taxa. There is a strong potential for isolating organisms that people have not seen before in the Gulf because this is a very unique region with unique influences, and the water is very different than in other coastal regions where people are doing lots of cultivation.

So, we have an opportunity to find some really new things,” said Thrash.

Thrash has also partnered with Ocean Adventure Rowing and Education Organization, or OAR Northwest, to survey an entire transect of the Mississippi River. Thrash equipped the expert seamen with a simple protocol for collecting water and nutrients for microbial analysis throughout a 90-day rowing expedition.

Thrash also collaborates with Nancy Rabalais at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, or LUMCON, and Olivia Mason at Florida State University to study the microbial ecology of the Northern Gulf of Mexico dead zone. Thrash has participated in two LUMCON cruises to map the shelf wide dead zone, an area of low oxygen that can measure over 5,000 square miles. During these cruises, the researchers collect sequence data to understand which microorganisms are present and to chart the areas where oxygen is lowest compared to other areas.

“Understanding how the dead zone forms and resolves, and knowing which organisms are present, will allow us to better anticipate how big the zone will be year to year and to help advance really meaningful solutions for how to mitigate an issue that will potentially affect fisheries and be detrimental to marine life,” said Thrash. “The more information we have about how this

PhD student Michael Henson filtering water to collect microorganisms and nutrient information.

“We were very lucky to connect with OAR Northwest. There have been a number of recent studies of the Mississippi River, but no analysis from the top of the river to the bottom, which is very difficult,” said Thrash.

"The information that OAR Northwest captured, feeds into the information we have about the coastal areas because all of the water coming out of the Mississippi River directly influences what’s going on in the southern Louisiana coastal region and the formation of the dead zone. So, we are trying to connect the dots on a large, systemic scale.”

Thrash asserts that the work taking place in the Thrash Lab is for the masses. The group maintains a lively web and social media presence with photos and video documentation of their adventures in the field. Earlier this year, the lab received an honorable mention for the 2015 Mindlin Science Communication Prize for the Thrash Lab Blog. The prize is given to junior faculty with the best nominated blog covering

“Science is not just about sitting in a lab and it’s not just about the technical details. Science is a lot of fun and it serves a lot of purposes.”

24 | The PURSUIT

teaching and research in any field of science, mathematics, engineering and medicine for a lay audience.

“We have lots of cool material,” said Thrash. “It’s fun because it shows people what we are really doing. Science is not just about sitting in a lab and it’s not just about the technical details. Science is a lot of fun and it serves a lot of purposes. This helps with recruitment and helps attract graduate students to the university.”

Thrash admits that he loves his work, which includes spending lots of time on the coast and the bayou.

“We do a lot of underwater work, so we dive and collect samples underwater and shoot video of the marine habitats,” said Thrash.

Thrash also has an active twitter page with more than 3,000 followers. As a matter of fact, if you walk into a classroom where Thrash is teaching and notice students typing messages on their phones or taking photos, they are not texting their friends or posting photos to snapchat. These students are actually engaged and participating in class. This is what classroom participation looks like in Thrash’s class, especially on presentation days.

“The best way to learn a subject matter, is to try and teach it to other people,” said Thrash. In a Thrash class, twitter is used as a live note taking process.

“It forces the students to think concisely because you only have 140 characters,” said Thrash. “What you write has to get to the point quickly and each tweet must have meaningful content.”

The students are encouraged to “live tweet” presentations and some classes actually establish Wikipedia pages about unique microorganisms not already featured on Wikipedia.

Thrash said that tweeting and setting up Wikipedia pages helps students stay focused on the material and also involves them in sharing information with the larger microbiology community.

Moving forward, Thrash plans to leverage the organisms his team has isolated as part of the cultivation collection and begin genomic sequencing and comparative analysis.

He is also collaborating with Professor Chunyan Li in LSU’s School of the Coast & Environment to examine how the physics of ocean water influences when and where microorganisms show up. Currently, Thrash and Li have a few test projects in southern Louisiana.

“The physics of marine systems is such an important aspect of oceanography,” said Thrash. "We are working towards an interdisciplinary effort that combines physical oceanography and biological oceanography.”

Learn more about the Thrash Lab by visiting thethrashlab.com.

Photos: (left) LUMCON dive safety officer and former member of Nancy Rabalais' lab at LUMCON, Lora Pride at work in the Gulf; (top) Undergraduate researcher David Pitre takes water chemistry measurements off the side of the Thrash Lab's small boat, affectionately called The R/V Schipperke; and (bottom right) undergraduate researchers Emily Nall and Jessica Weckhorst conducting cultivation protocols in a sterile environment.

LSU College of Science | 27

Super BUGS Beware Chemistry Professor Takes Novel Approach to Combating Antibiotic Resistant Infections The discovery of antibiotics in 1928 totally transformed medicine and the way we treat infectious diseases. But, after more than 80 years of use, the organisms that antibiotics are designed to kill have begun to adapt rendering today’s antibiotics less effective. According to the Centers for Disease Control, at least two million people in the U.S. become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die each year as a result of these infections.

28 | The PURSUIT

In an effort to combat the growing threat of antibiotic resistant infections, or “super bugs,” Carol Taylor, LSU professor of chemistry and department chair, has been awarded a $390,000 National Science Foundation grant to research a family of potent antibiotics with considerable therapeutic potential.

Taylor and her research team are developing novel approaches to the microbisporicins, which are 24-amino acid lantibiotic peptides with five thioether bridges and a C-terminal aminovinyl cysteine (AviCys) moiety, the most powerful lantibiotics isolated to date.

“Given the problem of antibiotic resistant bacteria, the significance of this research lies in providing efficient ways to make these compounds and in the long term open the door to the development of new antibiotics,” said Taylor.

The chemical synthesis of the lantibiotic class has been the subject of intense, contemporary investigation.

Chemical and enzymatic/microbial syntheses are being pursued, but no current approach has been able to deliver useful quantities of the antibiotics.

“For example, leaders in the field typically pursue a linear approach, in the order of 70 reaction steps. We can make the compounds, but not efficiently,” said Taylor.

The microbisporicins are entering clinical trials, but questions remain about the details of their exact structure.

“As we move forward with this project, our method has the potential to make the antibiotics in homogeneous form or larger scale than they are available from nature.”

Taylor recently appointed Samuel Kutty as a postdoctoral research associate, partially supported by the NSF award. Undergraduate researchers have already been involved in preliminary studies and there are opportunities for them to make contributions.

About Carol Taylor: Taylor received a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science from the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

She received her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and was a postdoctoral research associate at Princeton University. Prior to joining LSU in 2006, she spent nearly 12 years as a faculty in her native New Zealand. Her research interests are focused around the chemical synthesis of architecturally interesting molecules that have biological and/or medicinal significance. The major focus of her research in recent years has been the synthesis and incorporation of modified prolines into peptides.

Carol Taylor, chair and professor of chemistry

LSU College of Science | 29

A New Frontier in Forensic Science

by michelle watson

Pollen Analysis Helps Identify Victim In ‘Baby Doe’ Case When you think forensics, the first thing that may come to mind is a CSI or NCIS type crime scene packed with enough DNA evidence to piece together the who, what, when, where and why a crime occurred.

Most CSI buffs are familiar with scientists observing hair, carpet fibers and other evidence under a microscope, but what about pollen?

LSU doctoral student Shannon Ferguson contributed to the investigation that led to the identification of the body of Bella Bond, the two-year old discovered on the shores of Deer Island in Boston on June 25. This past summer, Ferguson interned with the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, in Houston where she worked with head palynologist, Andrew Laurence, in Customs and Border Protection, to track the origin of confiscated drug paraphernalia and other items. However, it was her work on the Baby Doe murder case that had the greatest impact on her summer internship experience.

clothing. It was the results of this analysis that gave investigators their first break in the case. Based on the pollen found on Bella’s clothes and blanket, it was determined that she was from the local area prompting police to focus their search in Boston.

As part of her internship, Ferguson assisted Laurence, her DHS supervisor, in the analysis of the pollen found in Bella’s hair and

To help investigators identify Bella, DHS palynologists combed through her hair and clothes for remnants of pollen and other

30 | The PURSUIT

Bella’s body was found June 25. After weeks of news coverage and virtually no leads in the child’s identity, she was referred to as Baby Doe. This past September, the little girl was identified as Bella Bond. Bella’s mother and her mother’s boyfriend have been charged in her killing.

forensic evidence that could be used to geolocate where she came from. The scientists used tiny vacuum cleaners to suck up the pollen grains through a filter. After that, the samples underwent chemical processing to isolate pollen grains, and this is what Ferguson, Laurence and a team of scientists examined.

“Pollen has a wide utility, because it’s everywhere,” said Ferguson, “What ever question you’re trying to answer, it can help. It’s not going to be perfect, but it’s going to get you close and definitely in the right direction.”

Used most often to date and track climate change or to date oil-bearing sequences in the industry, palynology is becoming a key factor in forensic studies. Palynology is the study of organic-walled microfossils like pollen, spores and dinoflagellate cysts, which is a type of plankton, that can be used to locate the origin of objects, to date sequences or reconstruct past environmental conditions. The study of palynology falls under the bigger umbrella of paleontology and geology.

“Narrowing pollen to a certain region can be a tricky process. For example, oak and pine trees are two of the most common plants found in the Southeast region of the United States. Studying any object that’s found in the Southeast region will most likely have both oak and pine pollen grains on it,” said Ferguson. “It all comes down to the trace elements of rare pollen types that help determine the location of the object. Usually there are only one to three pollen grains that will help pinpoint the location even better.”

Ferguson, now in her final year of her PhD studies in LSU’s Department of Geology & Geophysics, is funded by a Curatorial Assistantship from the LSU Museum of Natural Science Palynology Collection. At LSU, Ferguson is learning to identify pollen, build the pollen online database and use the pollen to reconstruct environmental changes in the Gulf of Mexico.

“I always knew I wanted to do geology since third grade,” said Ferguson, “We went to Desoto Caverns in Alabama for a field trip and I told my dad, ‘It’d be cool if I could play with rocks all day.’”

Ferguson became interested in palynology while studying under Fred Rich, her advisor at Georgia Southern University. When she enrolled in the PhD program at LSU, she began working with Sophie Warny, associate professor of palynology in the Department of Geology & Geophysics and curator of palynology in LSU’s Museum of Natural Science.

Shannon Ferguson, LSU PhD student in palynology, photographed in front of a scanning electron microscope at the Department of Homeland Security in Houston. Ferguson was trained to used the microscope during her DHS internship.

In 2013, Professor of Palynology Vaughn Bryant, who is also considered the father of forensic palynology in the U.S., invited Warny to a DHS/FBI meeting in D.C. to discuss the use of pollen in forensic cases. This meeting lead to a forensic project funded by the National Center for Biomedical Research and Training at LSU under the governance of Jim Fernandez. The forensic training Ferguson acquired while working with this project and the connections she made, are what landed her the internship with DHS.

Currently, Ferguson is working on a project with Warny using software called Specify to help digitize pollen grains. There are presently about 12,000 pollen species in the LSU CENEX collection. Because there’s so much unknown pollen in the world, Ferguson said it could take decades to sort through. The collection had not been digitized before because most laboratories do not have the time or the funding to sort through pollen, measure it, take pictures, and upload it to a computer with a name and description.

But digitizing the pollen grains is essential to build the type of database needed to identify the different types of pollen in forensic and other cases.

When not knee-deep in pollen research, Ferguson is a runner participating in marathons like the Louisiana Marathon and the Atlanta, Georgia Peachtree Road Race. For the future, however, Ferguson is happy as long as she gets to examine pollen.

“Solving any question with pollen is interesting to me. No matter if its dating oil-bearing sequences, or forensics, I want to learn everything.

There’s always more to know.”

LSU College of Science | 31

EUREKA! Connecting Math to the Real World by allison McCollister

W

hen Scott Baldridge set out to change the way we view and do math, he had an in-house test subject that not only proved that math could be easily understood, but that it could also be pleasurable to learn. Baldridge’s six-year old daughter Autumn was learning mathematics while he was leading a groundbreaking initiative that is changing the way math is taught is the U.S.

“I always treated children using Eureka Math as future adults,” said Scott Baldridge as he looked back on his creation of the Eureka math program.

Baldridge, distinguished professor of mathematics at LSU, is the lead author and mathematician for Eureka Math/Engage NY, a national mathematics curriculum based on common core state standards designed for Pre-K through 12th grade. The curriculum was established two years ago to help students get excited about mathematics. This unique program is the first complete curriculum that meets all of the common core state standards in every single grade.

“It includes teacher lesson plans, student textbooks, homework sets and student assessments,” said Baldridge.

But, Baldridge never set out to just meet the standards for the curriculum. His goal was always 32 | The PURSUIT

to develop a great mathematics curriculum that was uniform from grade-to-grade and easy to understand for students and parents alike. The curriculum was officially implemented two and a half years ago and is used widely across many states, including Louisiana and New York. It has proved to be successful as statistics showed that standardized testing scores went up with the curriculum change.

Baldridge stressed that Eureka is one of the first curricula to be rigorously designed to be completely coherent—presenting mathematics as a single “unfolding story” through out all ages and grades.

This coherent approach helps teachers to know what skills incoming students learned and ensures that students are always prepared for the next level.

“This coherence is incredibly important for learning: it makes it easier to build fluency with mathematics over time while simultaneously reducing math anxiety,” said Baldridge.

Over 100 teachers and mathematicians contributed to writing the Eureka curriculum. These experts travelled all over the country asking teachers about their issues with past and current curricula.

Many of the parents and teachers around the country had the same thoughts about curricula as people in Louisiana did.

“What we found,” said Baldridge, “was that a few privileged students were getting decent curricula that would prepare them for life while the rest were getting a watered-down, shallow, recipe-driven version of mathematics. One of our goals in writing Eureka Math was to try to give every student access to a high quality curriculum.”

Baldridge's daughter has been a constant companion in his journey to develop a better mathematics curriculum. She even occupies a significant amount of virtual real estate on Baldridge's web site, www.ScottBaldridge.net. His “Growing up with Eureka” channel on his site contains a catalog of videos documenting Autumn's mathematical moxie. The six-year old explains variables, powers of two, skip counting with fractions and even substraction problems with kittens. In the videos, Autumn definitely brings the cute factor, but her mastery of mathematics concepts is quite impressive for a six-year old.

Overall, the Eureka program has made a tremendous impact on mathematics education. According to Baldridge, an important part of the curriculum is getting students to understand and fluently do mathematics in a way that generates a positive connotation toward the subject.

“There is so much in the curriculum for our students to explore mathematically. What we are trying to do is open the doors to science, technology and engineering careers. For example, how do you build a rocket that can reach the moon? One of the first steps is to calculate the distance to the moon. In the curriculum, students estimate that distance using a few simple geometry concepts, and in the process of doing that calculation, they see that they don’t have to be a rocket scientist to get a reasonable answer. This brings the career of rocket scientist back down to Earth and into students’ imaginations of future career possibilities. Every high school modeling problem in Eureka was designed to open doors into our high-tech world in this way.”

EdReports.org, an independent nonprofit established to analyze and report on K-12 curricula, found Eureka Math a clear leader for its focus/coherence, rigor and usability. Currently, 61 of the 69 districts in Louisiana have self reported that they are using the curriculum in some form, varying from complete implementation to implementation in select grades. The curriculum has had a great impact on the districts it has reached and the Eureka team is gearing up to further expand the curriculum to classrooms throughout the U.S.

LSU College of Science | 33

LIGO Inches Closer to Proving Einstein’s Theory Just 32 miles from the state’s flagship institution, in the seat of Livingston Parish, you will find one of the world’s most ambitious physics experiments to date.

With more than $500 million in support from the National Science Foundation over 18 years, the Laser Interferometer GravitationalWave Observatory, or LIGO, is one of NSF’s largest investments and possibly one of Louisiana’s best kept secrets.

LIGO Livingston is a facility of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, or LSC, which consists of more than 900 scientists from institutions throughout the U.S. and 16 countries working together to detect and analyze gravitational waves as defined by Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity.

Einstein asserted that when large astronomical objects undergo violent processes they produce gravitational waves, which are essentially ripples in space-time. These events include black hole systems orbiting each other, black holes and neutron stars colliding or even a star exploding (a “supernova”).

Nearly 100 years after Einstein’s prediction, LIGO scientists tucked away in the woods of Livingston Parish, are on the cusp of proving this theory with tangible evidence of these cosmic events happening millions of light years from Earth.

The spokesperson for this massive collaboration is LSU Physics & Astronomy Professor and LIGO scientist Gabriela González.

Internationally recognized for her work with LIGO, González has been a member of the LSC since its founding in 1997. She was also featured in “LIGO Generations,” a documentary highlighting four generations of researchers committed to proving the existence of gravitational waves.

“I began visiting the LIGO detector during its construction, long before I came to LSU as a professor,” said González. “I knew many

34 | The PURSUIT

WAVE CATCHERS

LSU College of Science | 33

Gabriela González, College of Science Dean Cynthia Peterson and Joseph A. Giaime, LSU physics professor and head of LIGO.

colleagues in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at LSU who were then working at LIGO.” Prior to LSU, González and her husband Jorge Pullin, LSU’s Horace Hearne Chair in Theoretical Physics, held faculty positions at Penn State. When Pullin was offered a position in the LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy in 2001, González set her sights on a research scientist post at LIGO. As luck would have it, LSU came up with an even better offer—a faculty post in the physics department and the possibility of a research position at LIGO Livingston.

“The focus of my research revolves around the instrument itself,” said González. “My research group is involved with the characterization of the noise in the LIGO detectors, the calibration of the detectors and the analysis of the data.”

“Detecting the waves requires precision instrumentation, so we are constantly working and tweaking the instruments to make them more sensitive,” added González.

In past data-taking campaigns, LIGO scientists have not detected the gravitational waves, but González asserts that their existence is not in doubt.

"We have seen the energy leaving several systems with orbiting stars just as Einstein predicted, so we know the gravitational waves exist, but we have not yet measured the distortions arriving to Earth,” said González. “These stars colliding and black holes being born are extremely far away, but powerful enough that we should be able to measure them soon.

36 | The PURSUIT

Evidence of the direct detection of gravitational waves could garner a Nobel Prize for members of the collaboration, which includes researchers that have dedicated more than 30 years to making this discovery.

González, LSC spokesperson since 2011, is responsible for managing the scientific activities of the collaboration, which includes attending conferences and hosting public talks to share LIGO science with the world. Earlier this year, she was invited to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity during the World Science Festival in New York. She was featured on the “Reality Since Einstein” panel where she and leaders from an assortment of fields in gravitational physics discussed lingering questions and the latest works relative to Einstein’s theory. González has also participated in conferences in Washington, Germany and the United Kingdom.

In addition to the research work, education is also a core objective of LIGO. Part of LIGO’s programming includes widely popular outreach activities to introduce young people to math and science concepts and research opportunities for college students.

“The LIGO team believes in building the next generation of scientists, so we take outreach very seriously. Our intention is to get young and diverse people interested in science and science careers because we need the talent,” said González.

“NSF’s investment goes far beyond the facility. It funds undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and educators; so the support is not just for the nuts and bolts, but also for people.”

LIGO includes two observatories managed by Caltech and MIT— one in Hanford, Washington, and the facility in Livingston—and the GEO600 detector in Hannover, Germany. The Livingston facility includes a Science Education Center with 50 hands-on exhibits to demonstrate LIGO science. Each LIGO observatory has an L-shaped ultra high vacuum system, measuring 4km (2.6-miles) on each side, with lasers measuring the distance between mirrors hanging from sophisticated suspension and seismic isolation structures.

To further LIGO’s efforts, the original LIGO installations are undergoing a major upgrade to Advanced LIGO configurations, which will increase the sensitivity of the observatory’s instrumentation ten fold, resulting in a 1,000 fold increase in the number of astrophysical candidates for gravitational wave signals. May 19 marked the dedication of Advanced LIGO, and LIGO scientists anticipate its first science run with Advanced LIGO later this year.

In a press release issued by LIGO Caltech, NSF Director France Córdova said, "Advanced LIGO represents a critically important step forward in our continuing effort to understand the extraordinary mysteries of our universe."

"It gives scientists a highly sophisticated instrument for detecting gravitational waves, which we believe carry with them information about their dynamic origins and about the nature of gravity that cannot be obtained by conventional astronomical tools."

The LSC has a strong collaboration and data sharing agreement with the Virgo collaboration, which has a 3 km detector in Cascina, Italy. Also in the works, are proposals to expand the LIGO network to India. Three interferometers were built with the anticipation of placing one in India to extend LIGO network detectors, which would produce an even more effective global network.

The LIGO team remains steadfast in their work to find gravitational waves. Their discovery will serve as the foundation for a rising field of science, termed gravitational wave astronomy, and will place LSU scientists, like González, at the forefront of a breakthrough that will forever change the way we view the universe.

About Gabriela González: Gabriela González, native of Córdoba, Argentina, earned her Licenciatura, equivalent to a Masters of Science degree, from the University of Córdoba in 1988. She earned a PhD from Syracuse University in 1995 and began working with the LIGO group at MIT in 1997. She joined the faculty at Penn State in 1997 and four years later accepted a faculty position at the LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy.

Left: Tornado simulator in the LIGO Science Education Center; Above: González gives College of Science Dean Cynthia Peterson a tour of the Science Education Center.

LSU College of Science | 37

looking for rails Birding Enthusiasts Celebrate Louisiana’s Yellow Rails Each fall, bird enthusiasts, rice farmers and photographers come together to celebrate something special: the sighting of Yellow Rails in Louisiana’s working wetlands. This year, bird aficionados from more than 27 states and Canada gathered in Jennings from October 28 – November 1 to watch these peaceful, yet elusive, birds flush from rice fields during the 2015 Yellow Rails and Rice Festival, or YRARF. A Yellow Rail is a small marsh bird native to North America that is infrequently seen due to its secretive nature. During the fall, the bird travels from its northern breeding grounds to the southern U.S., including the rice-growing region of southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas, with many settling into rice fields. Yellow Rail sightings coincide with the year’s second rice harvest, a phenomenon that is fairly unique to this region, which takes place during mid-late fall after the Yellow Rails have arrived in Louisiana.

38 | The PURSUIT

by michelle watson

Festival participants had an opportunity to see these prized birds as they were flushed from the rice fields by a combine harvesting rice. Access to the rice fields is called the Festival Field Pass, which included a ride on the combine and a chance to search the fields on foot to look for rails and other birds.

George Lowery, celebrated ornithologist and founder of the LSU Museum of Natural Science, began seeing Yellow Rails as early as the 1960s in the Baton Rouge area during the fall hay harvest. The species undoubtedly still occurs in that area, but observations ceased when new hay-cutting technology allowed completion of the hay harvest before the Yellow Rails.

It wasn’t until museum collections managers Donna Dittmann and Steve Cardiff, who have been at LSU for over 30 years, witnessed Yellow Rails being flushed by a rice combine in 1988 that they

Despite the growing popularity of the festival, Dittmann and Cardiff have a max limit of 125 participants. Keeping the numbers low ensures an efficient and smooth festival. However, Dittmann and Cardiff have introduced a number of additional workshops to accommodate the growing number of festival goers. One of these newer workshops is bird banding, which allows bird enthusiasts to get up close and personal with the birds.

A few Yellow Rails have even been outfitted with radio transmitters to attempt to track their movements in the rice field areas, and in the future it is hoped that satellite telemetry can be tailored for a bird as small as the Yellow Rail. Then it will be possible to track their route back to the breeding grounds after they leave Louisiana and hopefully track the birds back to their wintering area.

With more people from across the nation coming to this year’s YRARF, Dittmann said that advertising was minimal.

“Our most popular form of advertising is word-ofmouth,” said Dittmann, “That along with people who return year after year.”

Over the course of seven years, 40 states have been represented at the YRARF. “Bringing people into Louisiana is a benefit to the Louisiana economy, and happy participants go home and spread the word about Louisiana-grown rice and crawfish and the many recreational opportunities to be found here,” said Cardiff.

realized that this was a reliable way of seeing this very sought-after species.

“Back in the 60s and 70s, the only other way to up your chances of seeing a Yellow Rail was to go into marshes on a “marsh-buggy” and hope one would pop up,” said Cardiff. After watching rice combines in the fields, Dittmann and Cardiff realized that this was a much easier strategy. That’s when they started contacting area rice farmers, and many years later the idea of accommodating large numbers of birders at an organized festival came to fruition.

The festival also allows visiting birders to interact with faculty, staff and graduate students from the LSU Museum of Natural Science, other LSU departments and other Louisiana and national institutions. The festival also provides researchers and other natural history professionals with an opportunity to exchange ideas.

The YRARF is sponsored by a number of organizations, including the USA Rice Federation, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and Audubon Louisiana to name a few. The LSU AgCenter and the LSU Museum of Natural Science help out as well.

The success of YRARF is heavily reliant on rice farmers and the weather. The collaboration between Dittmann and Cardiff and the farmers, especially Kevin and Shirley Berken, is what really makes this festival shine.

Dittmann and Cardiff have reflected on previous festivals in preparation for the one held this year. “My favorite part is when the first yellow rail popped out of the fields. Just seeing everyone’s faces was great,” said Cardiff.

“We’re slowing the progress of their harvest by doing this,” said Dittmann.

For Dittmann, all of the effort that goes into making the YRARF a success is the most rewarding aspect. “My favorite part is when people thank me at the end,” she said.

LSU College of Science | 39

LSU Innovators Physicist Sets Out to Revolutionize the Cooling Industry What if the latest and greatest innovation has already been made and is trying to make its way to mainstream society? That’s exactly what LSU Physics & Astronomy Professor Shane Stadler and his team are doing with his patent-pending magnetocaloric material that could change the refrigeration game forever.

the cooling techniques. Refrigeration units today use compressed-gas systems for cooling. A refrigeration unit with Stadler’s technology would have a solid state cooling system activated by magnetic fields that is potentially more energy efficient.

Professor Stadler teaches a variety of classes at LSU like “Magnetism and Magnetic Materials" and physics for engineers. He’s been conducting research on magnetocaloric materials since 2006.

His team consists of postdoctoral researcher Tapas Samanta and a research team at Southern Illinois University, led by Professor Naushad Ali.

The DOE and General Electric have been working to create something similar to Stadler’s research for awhile. Stadler hopes that his newly created innovation can be implemented broadly and used by everyday consumers.

Initially, Stadler used funds from a U.S. Department of Energy, or DOE, grant to support his work, but now his efforts are also supported by LSU’s LIFT2, a program created by the LSU Board of Supervisors to help “Leverage Innovation for Technology Transfer” across all the campuses of LSU. Last year, Stadler’s work was one of 15 projects funded through the LIFT2 program.

“There are many reports, financial and scientific, that predict that new solid state cooling technologies including magnetocalorics, will emerge into the consumer market in the next five years,” said Stadler.

“In order for that to happen, however, there are still a few hurdles to get over, both from materials science and engineering perspectives.”

Stadler said his research had gotten to the stage where it required funds to produce materials for applied tests and construct measurement prototypes.

This new development could have a positive impact on Louisiana’s economy and Stadler’s happy to know that his work could directly benefit the state.

“This is where the LIFT2 grant has contributed immensely: we could not have proceeded with these tests without this seed funding,” said Stadler. “And, as far as applications are concerned, the developmental research funded by LIFT2 was the most important.”

“It is relatively rare that basic science finds a direct path to local economy," said Stadler. “We find great satisfaction in that our research could positively affect Louisiana, although we still have a long way to go.”

The most unique thing about Stadler’s research is that when used in refrigeration units, air conditioners or any items using conventional cooling systems, the material is found to be environmentally friendly. In other words, there would be no toxic or gaseous emissions that could harm the environment.

Stadler and his team are still working to perfect the materials and they are using the LIFT2 grant to move this process forward. There is still significant time before this new material can be placed in cooling units. Until then, Stadler will continue his research, as the world waits anxiously for the arrival of something truly innovative and possibly life changing.

The difference between typical conventional cooling systems and cooling systems that would use Stadler’s new research lies within 40 | The PURSUIT

The Stadler Group (front to back): Tapas Samanta, postdoctoral researcher; Daniel Lepkowski, undergraduate researcher; Ahmad Us Saleheen, graduate student; and Emily Kramer, undergraduate researcher.

This year, the LSU Board of Supervisors awarded 15 more proof-of-concept awards through its LIFT2 program. Three College of Science professors received awards. They are: •

Professor of Chemistry John Pojman for his work with Daniel Hayes, LSU AgCenter, for bone foam-synthetic composite bone graft,

•

Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Naohiro Kato, for a method to produce bioplastics from microalgal culture, and

•

Professor of Chemistry Kermit Murray for laser ablation-nanodissection for DNA sequencing.

ABOUT LIFT2 The LSU LIFT2 Fund was created by the LSU Board of Supervisors in January 2014 to help “Leverage Innovation for Technology Transfer” across all the campuses of the LSU System. By permanently securing a portion of licensing income for the LSU LIFT2 Fund, LSU has ensured continual reinvestment in new innovation opportunities and affirmed its commitment to advancing discoveries to benefit the public. Commercialization of academic innovations through technology transfer further enhances multiple aspects of LSU’s mission and creates new economic opportunity in Louisiana and elsewhere.

LSU College of Science | 41

Making a

DIFFERENCE

38 | The PURSUIT

LSU Alumnus Dr. James Lange Among Initial Responders to Ebola Crisis

L

ast March, the world witnessed the largest and most deadly Ebola outbreak since the virus was first discovered in 1976. Widespread transmission in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia caused the World Health Organization, or WHO, to declare an international public health emergency. President Obama ordered military personnel to the area and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, responded by deploying hundreds of personnel to West Africa to support the international effort to control and eventually stop the Ebola epidemic.

The CDC activated its Emergency Operations Center, or EOC, to organize and deploy the proper mixture of assets to respond to the emergency. The CDC deployed physicians, epidemiologists, statisticians, laboratory scientists and other experts to aid each affected nation to build its capacity to identify and treat Ebola patients and to implement preventive measures to halt the spread of the virus.

Dr. James Lange, LSU graduate and long-time scientist at the CDC in Atlanta, has a history with Ebola virus, starting at the time it was discovered and through the current Ebola epidemic. Dr. Lange was part of the CDC team that discovered the virus in 1976 and is a co-author of the article documenting the virus’ discovery and naming, published in The Lancet, March 12, 1977.

“The CDC EOC is a lot like a military operations center.

It organizes and deploys subject matter experts to address specific needs in order to identify, reduce and eventually stop disease spread,” said Dr. Lange. “We always do this with partners such as the World Health Organization, the Africa Union, the International Red Cross/Red Crescent and nongovernment organizations like Partners in Health, Doctors Without Borders and host-nation health ministries.”

Dr. Lange deployed to Liberia, West Africa in NovemberDecember, 2014 where he was assigned to an epidemiology and surveillance team in Bong County, located in the north-central part of Liberia. While there, he collaborated with international partners and Bong County Health Department officials to track Ebola virus disease patients and their contacts and to facilitate local improvements in Bong County and Liberian systems and capabilities to detect and monitor new Ebola cases. Dr. Lange trekked with his colleagues to remote villages to check on local health workers’ performance.

“Detection has changed since the 70s when we used tissue culture to grow virus before using serologic and electron microscopic tests to identify it,” said Dr. Lange. “Today, Ebola virus is detected using molecular technology that confirms the presence of Ebola virus RNA in blood samples.”

From June through August 2015, Dr. Lange returned to West Africa, this time to Sierra Leone, to supervise the Immunogenicity Sub-Study of the Ebola Vaccine Study.

His work will yield data to assess the effectiveness and safety of the Vesicular Stomatitis Virus – Ebola (VSVEbo) construct vaccine. He also supervised Sierra Leonean laboratory workers who collected blood samples from Ebola Vaccine Trial volunteers on day 0 (the day of vaccine receipt), then one-month, six-month and 12-month intervals. Serum samples will be tested to measure antibody response to the VSV-Ebo vaccine and to determine if that response lasts as long as a year. Dr. Lange and his team also collected blood clots left after serum removal and these will be tested for malaria to determine if malaria infection interferes with the antibody response to the VSV-Ebo vaccine.

“If Ebola outbreaks become common, the current vaccine might be a way to protect populations,” said Dr. Lange.

“There are no established methods to prevent future Ebola outbreaks. If the reservoir for Ebola were known, it might be possible to reduce the possibility of a future outbreak.”

After each return trip to the U.S., Dr. Lange and every other Ebola responder participates in what is called “enhanced medical surveillance.” After an initial interview by a medical screening team returnees must measure and report temperature and health status twice a day for 21 days.

“There is no quarantine for any returning personnel unless that person shows signs and symptoms compatible with Ebola,” said Dr. Lange.

Dr. Lange continues to work with his successor in Sierra Leone and anticipates returning in the last quarter of 2015.

Dr. Lange earned a bachelor's degree in microbiology from LSU in 1969 followed by a master's degree in microbiology in 1974 where he completed an immunology-themed thesis under Dr. Ronald J. Seibeling, LSU professor of immunology and pathogenic microbiology. The five-year interval between his undergraduate and graduate degree was due to military service, which included a tour in Vietnam as a rifle platoon leader in the Americal Division, 5th Battalion, 46th Infantry Regiment. He earned a PhD in pathology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1983.

An active member of the College of Science Dean’s Circle Executive Committee, Dr. Lange has chaired the Communications Committee and participated in a number of Dean’s Circle outreach events, including talking to students at the Science Residential Hall and Careers in Science seminars.

“My LSU experience prepared me for success throughout my career. I was well prepared to do what was needed to detect a new virus that came to be called Ebola and feel the same way today with my work on the Immunogenicity Sub-Study of the Ebola Vaccine Trial,” said Dr. Lange.

"Both I and my wife, Neilanne, are LSU graduates and FOREVER LSU in mind and spirit.”

LSU College of Science | 43

fertile ground

Renowned Lichenologist Shirley C. Tucker Gives $2 Million to LSU Plant Systematics Program In 1970, Dr. Shirley Tucker left her hometown of Minnesota when her husband, an entomologist, was hired at the Federal Bee Laboratory in Louisiana. It took her over a year to convince the head of LSU’s Botany Department that a Minnesota native could be useful to the university’s botany program. She spent the first five years of her LSU career teaching and after that time began applying for national research grants. So, what started with a year’s worth of convincing has resulted in a long distinguished career as one of the nation’s most noted lichenologists and leading authority on floral development in legumes and other groups of flowering plants.

Tucker was an integral part of a team of LSU botanists that helped build the prestige of the LSU Herbarium. She spent 25 years at LSU and rose through the academic ranks to be one of the university’s premier faculty researchers. She was one of the first women to receive LSU’s highest faculty rank of Boyd Professor and is credited 44 | The PURSUIT

with building the LSU Herbarium lichen collection, which consists of 44,000 lichen specimens. Tucker has also written more than 150 publications on floral development, plant systematics and lichen distributions and structure.

This past October, LSU celebrated Tucker's gift of $2 million to the LSU Herbarium and plant systematics program in the College of Science Department of Biological Sciences. Her gift, supplemented with an additional $960,000 from the Louisiana Board of Regents, created a $2.96 million endowment to support the Dr. Shirley C. Tucker Chair in Plant Systematics, four superior graduate student scholarships and provide endowed support for the LSU Herbarium.

“Dr. Tucker is a trailblazer in her field and role model for aspiring botanists and women in science. We are very excited to be a part of her legacy of achievement,” said Cynthia Peterson, College of

Science dean and Seola Arnaud and Richard Vernon Edwards Jr. Professor. “Dr. Tucker has maintained a decades-long commitment to the LSU Herbarium and her gift will allow us to sustain this important facility and attract additional talented faculty and students to the plant systematics program.”

In recognition of her distinguished career and contributions to plant sciences at LSU and beyond, the LSU Herbarium was renamed the Shirley C. Tucker Herbarium during a ribbon cutting ceremony October 15. The ceremony was followed by a symposium featuring guest speakers Irwin M. Brodo, emeritus scientist at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa, and Chelsea D. Specht, associate professor and curator of monocots at the University of California, Berkeley.

“LSU’s history of excellence in plant biology is in large part due to Dr. Shirley Tucker’s scientific contributions. Her generosity will enable us to support exemplary faculty and recruit outstanding graduate students in the field of plant studies, carrying on the legacy she built here. We cannot thank her enough,” said F. King Alexander, LSU System president.

“I am grateful for the many enjoyable years I spent as a faculty member at LSU. It is a pleasure to be able to show my appreciation with this gift and to support a strong program in plant systematics at LSU that will continue for years to come,” said Tucker.

Tucker had quite a few adventures while at LSU, but her favorite was a field trip to the Feliciana Hills.

“Nobody had taken students on field trips before I came to the department and I thought that the trips were really important for them,” said Tucker. “They needed to get out in the field and see some of the natural areas.”

Tucker recounted an experience where she and some of her students journeyed into some of the deep ravines and had forgotten how they came in. After wandering around a bit, Tucker remembered that she had a compass, so the group followed the compass line to the road.

“If we would have kept walking, we would have been in Mississippi, but the students treated it like it was an adventure,” said Tucker.

The LSU Herbarium is a testament to the geographical breadth and taxonomic depth of Dr. Tucker’s lichen studies. Her interest in lichens began in the 1950s as a student in the Botany Department at the University of Minnesota. She began focusing on lichens in the Gulf Coast region circa 1970 after reviewing LSU’s historic Louisiana lichen collections of A.B. Langlois from the late 1800s. Her research collections also include vascular plants, bryophytes, algae and fungi.

“I feel that it is very important to give to higher institutions, especially to those related to the field I work in. I can see areas that are difficult to fund and herbaria are high on that list,” said Tucker.

“The operations of the herbarium itself is important and it costs money.”

Tucker retired from LSU in 1995 and continues a very active research program at the University of California, Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden and the Louisiana State University Herbarium. In 2006, she was inducted into the LSU College of Science Hall of Distinction. She has also held a number of prestigious leadership positions including president of the American Society of Plant Taxonomists and the Botanical Society of America.

Top photo: Members of LSU's former botany department recreate the bottom photo during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Dr. Shirley C. Tucker Herbarium. Left to right: Russ Chapman, Lowell Urbatsch, Tom Moore, James Moroney, Meredith Blackwell, David Longstreth and Shirley Tucker.

Missing from the top photo are James Grace and Bruce Williamson who appear in the bottom photo, middle.

About the LSU Herbarium Founded in 1869, the LSU Herbarium is the oldest collection of preserved plant specimens in the Gulf South and one of the two largest collections of plants in Louisiana. Originally composed entirely of specimens of vascular plants, it now also includes fine collections of lichens, mosses and fungi. In all, the LSU Herbarium contains ca. 250,000 specimens, with over 40,000 lichens and ca. 25,000 fungi. Gulf Coast plants, lichens and mosses are well represented, while over a third of the entire collection is from outside the United States. The Bernard Lowy mycological collection is rich in Neotropical wood-decaying fungi. The LSU Herbarium is an essential resource for research, teaching and public service, including the study of native and naturalized plants of Louisiana, the ecology of Louisiana marshes, the medicinal plants of the Gulf South and vascular plant systematics.

LSU College of Science | 45

Knock, Knock!

Knock Knock Museum to Inspire Next Generation of Scientists by Pink thamdorn I know this is a great set up for a joke. So, let’s run with it.

“Knock Knock!” “Who’s there?” “Orange.” “Orange who?”

“Orange you glad that Baton Rouge will have a place for budding young scientists to play and explore?”

The Knock Knock Children’s Museum is currently under construction in City-Brooks Community Park on Dalrymple Drive in Baton Rouge.

The idea for this 30,000 square-foot exploratorium grew out of a partnership between the East Baton Rouge Recreation and Park Commission, or BREC, and committed volunteers and early education advocates who saw a need for a facility that provided stimulating informal learning experiences for young children.

The museum has raised more than $10 million dollars in corporate and private donations to support construction.

Slated for a 2016-17 opening, the museum will be made up of learning zones, which are hands-on, interactive exhibits that will create “teachable” moments that connect children’s everyday experiences to learning. With the support of ExxonMobil's 3-for-1 matching grant, Pat Bodin, LSU mathematics alumnus, former chief information officer of ExxonMobil and member of the College of Science Dean's Circle Executive Committee, gave a total of $60,000 to support the education of LSU Geaux Teach students utilizing the Geaux Figure! Playhouse, one of the 16 or more learning zones in the museum.

“Our country, state and community are desperately short of qualified people in the STEM disciplines and these disciplines are critical to our future as a nation,” said Bodin. “It's too late to start focusing on stimulating student interest in STEM when they are in high school and college. We need to tap this potential in our children at a very early age, so that they understand that science and math can be fun as well as interesting.”

Bodin has been actively involved nationally and internationally in promoting STEM education and careers. She is also a supporter of LSU’s GeauxTeach program and has partnered with her sister, Cate Heroman, an early childhood consultant and member of the museum’s board of directors, to help ignite a love of STEM in children ages birth to eight.

46 | The PURSUIT

“A child’s ability in math at school entry is a better predictor of achievement, high school graduation and college attendance than any other skill in early childhood,” said Heroman. “In fact, research has shown that early math competency even predicts later reading achievement better than early literacy skills! And, learning about science, technology and engineering in the early years can foster curiosity and a love of learning about the world around them and is an important foundation for these subjects throughout school and life.”

A former early childhood educator and administrator for more than 35 years, Heroman began as an advisor to a Junior League community project called Imagination Playground. During her time as an advisor, she realized that their vision and philosophy hit to the core.

“When I think of a traditional museum, the first image that comes to mind is to look and don’t touch. The exact opposite is true of a children’s museum,” said Heroman. “Knock Knock Children’s Museum is a place with exhibits and programming designed specifically with children ages birth to eight in mind.

It will be highly interactive and children will use their hands, bodies and minds to explore, investigate and make discoveries.

All of the experiences will extend, enrich and complement what’s happening in schools in a way that is fun and exciting.”

The Geaux Figure! Playhouse will be a replica of the MiniMathematikum, a part of the Mathematikum in Germany, the world’s largest and first hands-on museum for mathematics.

“I hope that children, families and the community will have a greater appreciation of the importance of math and science in everything that we do,” said Bodin. “I hope that they will leave the museum with a fascination for STEM, and an excitement about the future that can come with new science and technological discoveries. I believe that the strong collaboration that exists between the LSU College of Science’s Cain Center for STEM Literacy and the Knock Knock Museum will result in a world-class children's museum for Baton Rouge and for Louisiana.”

For more information about the Knock Knock Museum, visit www.knockknockmuseum.org.

Our DC members share a passion for advancing the college's research pursuits. They understand the value of a degree from the LSU College of Science and the time and effort required to propel the college forward. LSU graduates Marshall, BS, physics, 2005, and Dr. Marie Harper, BS, chemistry, 2006, are two of our more recent additions to the Dean's Circle.

Left to right: Dr. Marie Harper, Elise Harper (LSU Class of 2036) and Marshall Harper during the fall 2014 Dean's Circle Dinner

Why did you choose to attend LSU? Marie: I was coming from New Orleans. Most of my friends were going to LSU. I really envisioned myself going pre-med at Emory. However, when I toured the campuses it was a no-brainer. I realized that with the LSU Honors College, I would get an excellent education and also experience the type of campus life I wanted. I was drawn to the energy and camaraderie of the student body.

Marshall: Honestly, the TOPS scholarship was just too good of an offer to pass up. LSU is large enough that I felt I could pursue any discipline and get a top notch education, if I put forth the proper effort.

What has been the best part of your Dean's Circle experience?

Marie: The Dean's Circle dinner has been a great experience. I have been happy to meet and chat with other donors from my area, and I really enjoy listening to current students talk about their research.

Marshall: The newsletters and notes of appreciation are nice, but the dinners during the football season are really great. Talking to current students and hearing the dean speak on current strategies at the college reminds me of how much I owe my current state to the College of Science and LSU.

Why do you give to the College of Science Dean's Circle?

What is your fondest LSU memory?

Marie: The pride I have as an alumna is what truly

Marie: Game day in the student section! I don't want to go back there now. But if I could go back in time....

motivates me to support the Dean's Circle and give back. However, I also have a personal reason to hope to continue the advancement of the College of Science—our daughter Elise, class of 2036. Of course we will let her go wherever she wants for college as long as it isn't Bama.

Marshall: I give to the Dean's Circle to allow LSU to continue to be on the forefront of scientific education and discovery. Sometimes those breakthroughs come from areas that the bean counters and administrators deem "surplus to requirements." Donating to the Dean's Circle allows for the flexibility necessary to cultivate those areas.

Marshall: My fondest LSU memory happened one morning while walking across the Parade Grounds.

I was headed to class in Nicholson, looking toward the clock tower, when I just had a moment of clarity of how lucky I was to have the opportunity to be surrounded by greatness, both academically and athletically.

Dean's Circle SPOTLIGHT | marie & Marshall harper

The College of Science Dean's Circle, or DC, plays an important role in supporting the college's commitment to excellence. Dean's Circle 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, graduates between 2005-15 are also eligible for Dean's Circle membership.

For more information about the College of Science Dean's Circle, go to www.science.lsu.edu.

LSU College of Science | 47

Thank

you

for giving to the LSU College of Science

INDIVIDUALS $25,000 to $99,999 Patricia Hewlett Bodin Elwyn & Ollie Cavin Ronnie Johnson & Candace Hays Armour C. Winslow $10,000 to $24,999 Scott & Susan Brodie David J. Clark Fred & Misty Meendsen Josephine W. Nixon Judith L. O'Neale Arthur & Julia Saller James R. Stewart Jr. $2,500 to $9,999 A. K. & Shirley Barton George Belchic Jr. Stephen & Catherine Brown Clarence & Ann Cazalot Deborah A. DeBram Charles & Arleen Goldberg Beverly Greenwell Dana & Barbara Hutchison Rowdy & Donna Lemoine Barbara Lowery-Yilmaz & Recep Yilmaz Betsey Mellor Sally M. Murray Stuart & Kim Oden James & Linda Painter Robert & Susan Perlis Ed Picou & Dan Armstrong Ward & Betty Plummer Judith A. Schiebout Estes & Brenda Thomas Mel & Diane Triay $1,000 to $2,499 Samuel & Camille Abshire Ronnie & Denise Alvarez Mary Lou Applewhite Corine K. Armstrong Byrd & Alice Ball Jeremy Bariola & Ellen Lu Peggy A. Battalora Allen & Susan Berlin James Bishop & Virginia Bunker Charles & Jo Black

48 | The PURSUIT

Daniel & Tena Bonnet George & Debbie Boudreaux Brad & Julie Broussard Jon & Jonell Brubaker Peter & Alice Burland Sybil Callaway & Elias Bou-Waked Roberta G. Carlisle Purnell & Joan Choppin Carlo & Beverly Christina Keith & Cecilia Comeaux Frank & Diann Cornish Bill & Janet Daly Gaston & Mimi Daumy Gregg & Hyacinth DeMar Dick & CeCe Edwards Gary & Sophit Ewing Charles B. Foy Jr. Robert & Paula Gerdes Darrin & Felicia Gipson Stephen K. Goff Linda A. Goodrum Gary S. Grest Robert T. Grissom Bill & Mary Helen Hamilton Marshall & Marie Harper Thomas & Brenda Harrington George & Deborah Harrison Billy & Ann Harrison Frank & Patricia Harrison Dicky & Judy Haydel George & Mary Helmer Stewart & Lauren Henry Robert & Paula Herman Julie L. Hill Ken & Janet Hogstrom Robert & Joanne Holladay Michelle & B. B. Holoubek Bryan & Kerri Kansas Fred Sheldon & Jody Kennard Neil & Arlene Kestner Terren & Maria Klein Rich & Helene Kurtz Arlo & Eunice Landolt Jim & Neilanne Lange Terry & Cheryl Latiolais Robert & Betty Lingle Bill & Marilyn Lovell Andrew & Anne Maverick Lawrence & Linda Messina Ron & Mary Neal Wayne & Heike Newhauser Beverly Ogden & Bayne Dickinson Rodney & Pamela Ott

Charles & Pamela Pinckney Kelly & Joey Poret John D. Reeves Gil & Susan Rew Xiulu Ruan Roland & Susan Samson John & Toni Sardisco Carl & Lyn Schmulen Erik & Angela Scott Faye H. Seaberg Wayne & Anne Simpson Jeffrey & Shelly Sketchler Charles M. Smith Esther Socolofsky Curtis & Helen Sorrells Bill & Versa Stickle Karen Adler & Joe Storthz Marvin Stuckey Erich & Shannon Sturgis James G. Sullivan Jr. Jim Traynham & Gresdna Doty John & Cindy Tyler Mac & Anne Wallace Gary Byerly & Maud Walsh Earl H. Weidner Jasper & Jane Ann Welch Keith & Katie White Danny & Kay Williamson Bill & Sheri Wischusen Winnie K. Wong-Ng Jack & Anna Lea Woods Edward & Jo Zganjar Richard P. Zingula Up to $999 Stephen & Janet Abernathy Lloyd & Carolyn Aguillard Joan C. Alford James H. Anderson Jane & Tom Anderson David L. Anderson Aida & Sidney Anderson Ann Anderson Paul Antolik & Barbara Bone Frank & Dianne Auer John & Nancy Bair Jerry W. Ball Bill & Virginia Baltosser Miles & Carole Barnett Charles & Mary BarrĂŠ Sharon Barrell & Robert Hetes Robert D. Bates

The LSU College of Science is grateful to all of the alumni and donors who have given of their resources, time and talent to support and grow the academic and research pursuits of the college. The names listed in this publication reflect donations given to the College of Science, or one of its departments, through the LSU Foundation from January 1 to December 31, 2014.

Roberta L. Beckers Deana J. Beckham Ivo & Jean Bergsohn Damon Billodeaux & Jennifer Ducatel William & Mary Bisland Bradley & Cynthia Black Homer & Dianne Black Robert & Martha Blewer Andrey & Larisa Blokhin Nancy & William Boddie Nell T. Boersma Michael & Amy Borgmeyer John & Laura Bosnak Alvin & Mary Ann Boudreaux Kevin A. Boudreaux R. William & Dorothy Bowdon Jay & Sherry Breaux Harold & Priscilla Breaux Roger & Barbara Breedlove John H. Brinson Billy & Jaclyn Brizzard James & Anne Marie Brooks Shawn S. Brown Charles E. Brown Joan H. Brown James A. Brown Paul A. Bruce Melody Bruce & David Ray Wendell & Dawn Brumfield Sam & Karen Buckley Jeffrey M. Burford Kevin J. Burns Michael J. Caire Joseph & Sharey Caire Joseph & June Cannizzaro Peggy Capell Carol O. Caplan Angelo & Gretchen Capparella Hendrik & Mary Carleton Andrew & Carol Caruso Kathleen & Paul Castellanos Leila Causbie Victor & Carolyn Cavaroc Adam W. Chachere Kelvin Y. Chang Prithiva S. Chanmugam Weizhe & Zui Chu Holly Jean Clause & Andrew Stoebner Harold Clausen Jr. & Robin Kilpatrick Craig & Patricia Clifford Frank M. Coates Jr. Vernon D. Coffman Jr. James & Travis Coleman Leon & Carol Combs Kalman S. Csigi Kermit & Dorothy Cummings Samuel & Donna Cunningham Robert L. Curry IV

Glen L. Daigre James & Dorothy Dake June A. D'Angelo Bob & Barbara Danos Doris W. Darden Jerome A. Darsey Frank & Ellen Daspit Rex & Miriam Davey Terry R. Davis Frances B. Davis Ronald J. Deck James L. Decker Margaret Deitrich William B. DeJean Anthony J. DeLucca II Thomas & Elizabeth Demars Dennis Demcheck & Kay Radlauer Hongyi Deng Richard & Dawn Denne Herbert Derman Patrick & Carmen Dessauer Kevin J. Dileo Philip & Catherine Disalvo William J. Donnaway Jr. Patrick W. Dooley Robert E. Drumm James & Kathleen Duke Robert Taylor & Patricia Dunhardt Robert & Mary Dunnell Anthony & Jacqueline Duplechin Allen & Deborah Dupre Mary L. Eggart Jeffrey M. Elder John E. Erffmeyer Robert L. Eubanks Jr. John S. Everett Jr. Doris Falkenheiner Kyle & Catherine Farrar Sid & Jennifer Felps Sue A. Field Joelle J. Finley Rodney Barlow & Patricia Fithian Robert W. Flammang Jeri A. Flynn Peter & Alice Fogg William & Avril Font Robert & Mary Fontenot Gerald & Jan Foret Carol B. Foster Juhan Frank Bethany S. Franke John Z. French Tony & Ann Fuselier Loganayaki Ganesh Alfred L. Gardner Paul T. Gaudet Benjamin & Vicki Giamalva Keith R. Gibson

Bill M. Girard Ann & Bennie Good Paul R. Goodwin Stewart & Clarice Gordon Christopher & Andrea Grenier Michael & Donna Griffith Joseph D. Guillory Jr. Kurt & Wendy Gust Marcella W. Hackney Michael & Danella Halle Edward & Amanda Haluska Ernest & Diane Hamilton Gerald V. Hannan Leo & Bonnie Happel Carolyn H. Hargrave Kyle Harms & Jessica Eberhard Guy Harris James Hebert & Christin Lott Robert & Barbara Helmkamp Bertram R. Henry Virginia G. Hodge Daniel & Rosemary Hoolihan Abdalla & Hayat Hubbi Dorothy & John Hudson Lauren M. Hulbert Jay & Judith Huner Brett A. Hutchinson Morton & Phyllis Isler Sarah K. Janes Ann & Herman Jarobe Robert & Jane Jemison Arthur & Susan Joerger Alphonse & Ann Jolissaint James G. Jolissaint Marilyn & Kenneth Jones Robert & Masoumeh Jordan Roy & Margaret Kelly Ralph & Melanie Kenning Walter P. Kessinger Jr. Edward & Nancy Khoury Karrie & Kerry Kilgore Kenneth & Sandra Kneipp William & Mary Koederitz Robert J. Kramer Brian R. Kurtz James J. LaNasa Jr. William & Carolyn Lane Patricia P. Lanier Richard & Elaine LeBlanc Jim & Kathryn Lee Jim & Doris Lewis Bryan & Elizabeth Lindsay James A. Lloyd David Longstreth & Sue Barlett Tiansheng S. Lu Maria & Andrei Ludu Bing-Hao Luo Robert & Mary MacGregor

LSU College of Science | 49

INDIVIDUALS continued: Susan & Duncan MacLean James J. Madden Mary & Jim Maley Gary & Deserae Mall Mary & A. G. Malliaris Charmaine B. Mamantov Jonathan & Emily Marcantel Ann C. Marchok Ann Marie Marmande & Mike Frenzel Keith & Stephanie Martin Vicente J. Martinez Ralph Maxwell III Roger & Karen May Rebecca D. McCandless Kenneth & Virginia McClain Patrick J. McCormick Jarrod & Emily McGehee Archie N. McIntyre Kathleen M. McManus Thomas L. McNeely Jr. Robert & Judith McNew Brad & Kay McPherson Ronald D. Menard Christine M. Micheel John & Carol Milam Abdul & Monsurat Mohammed Ronald & Janet Montelaro Clyde H. Moore Jr. Sarah E. Moore David & Chaleo Morais Jim & Robin Morel David & Elizabeth Morgan Jim & Patricia Moroney Douglass & Elizabeth Morse Virginia L. Mouw Robert G. Moyle Cathy & Donald Mueller Jesse & Charlina Mulkey Daniel E. Mulligan Linda S. Muniz Michael G. Murphy David & Wendy Muth

Buford M. Myers III Charles R. Neatrour Ruby R. Neely Frank & Kristy Neubrander Nancy & Paul Newfield James & Karen Nickerson Edward P. Nixon William A. Noble Heber R. Norckauer Jr. William H. Opdyke Elizabeth A. Oszewski Shangli Ou Glenn & Mildred Ousset James & Judith Oxley Stephen L. Pagans Timothy J. Pardue James & Janet Parks Paul & Beth Paskoff Brad & Susan Patt Dave Patton Gary E. Paul Henry & Jennifer Peltier Allen & Elizabeth Phillips Cecil & Neila Phillips John & Elizabeth Pisa Roland D. Pool Harriett Pooler Richard & Angela Provensal Robert & Erika Rabalais Meghan G. Radtke Nelita M. Ramey Richard T. Rauch Larry & Ann Raymond Robert & Barbara Reese James & Lea Reeves Stephen C. Rice Leonard & Joan Richardson Bert & Suellen Riemenschneider Gregory & Pamela Roche James & Krista Roche Carlyle & Irene Rogillio Douglas & Sharon Rossman

All About MIKE Tiger Conservation through Student-Driven Research Last summer, students enrolled in Introduction to Microbiology were divided into small sampling teams to collect samples of soil, grass, water and other components of Mike the Tiger's habitat to better understand the microorganisms that make up Mike's microbiome. This activity was part of the LSU Mikereauxbiome Project launched by the College of Science and the School of Veterinary Medicine. This novel instructional and research venture is the first in a series of undergraduate research activities to contribute new knowledge to our understanding of big cats. This project also provides a research-embedded classroom experience that allows students to get involved in research activities early in their academic career.

To learn more about the Mikereauxbiome Project, go to www.science.lsu.edu.

Photo: Student enrolled in Introduction to Microbiology collects samples from the water in Mike VI's habitat.

Photo by Scott Chachere II, scottchachere.com

Kenneth & F. C. Roussel Aaron & Linda Roy John H. Runnels Stephen M. Russell Benjamin & Elizabeth Russell Claes & Marianne Ryn Vishal Sachdev Joseph Sampognaro III Carl T. Sanchez Felix H. Savoie III James & Carol Schnabel Michael & Pamela Schonefeld Benjamin & Faye Schubert Thomas & Minh Tho Schulenberg Peter Scott & Diana Hews Lynn Seeholzer Ambar N. Sengupta Janice Harvey & David Shannon Thomas & Susan Shirley Terence & Kristine Sillett Joel & Marla Silverberg Harold & Edna Silverman Sara L. Simmonds John & Lisa Simpson Edward D. Sledge Wayne & Marian Slocum Charles & Gloria Slocum Gwen B. Smalley Brian & Marilyn Smith Stacy & Kelly Smith Winston & Katherine Smith Barbara A. Smith Hester & Thomas Sofranko Timothy L. Sorrells Jerry J. St. Pierre Lawrence & Peggy Stanley Merlin & Charlotte Stansbury David W. Steadman Charles & Mary Steele Raymond W. Stephens Jr. A. Lloyd & Pamela Stoessell John & Amelie Storment

John & Kathleen Susko Troye & Olga Svendson Jay C. Svoboda Michael & Julia Svoren Erick M. Swenson Maureen L. Swisher Amanda L. Talbot Andrew V. Talmadge Jr. Clarence R. Teagle Deborah G. Teal Scott & Linda Terrill William H. Thomason Mack F. Thompson Christopher & Katherine Thompson Alison G. Thompson William E. C Tiemann Ramy J. Toma

Sallye J. Toniette Robert & Betty Toups Gregory & Margaret Trahan Jeffrey & Alice Trahan Robert & Ellise Turner Barbara S. Turner Hatcher Tynes Linda & John Upton Joseph G. Vallee Roy & Mary Walther Alan M. Warren Patricia G. Watermeier Philip L. Waterworth Edward A. Weisblatt Christopher & Christina Welch Mary J. Eberhard David & Melissa Wiedenfeld

Kenneth & Shannon Wiley Lawrence E. Wilkinson Sartor O. Williams III Duane J. Williams Charles R. Wilson Chris Winters Duane & Joanne Wolcott Rebecca J. Wolhart Hong-Wei Zhao

LSU College of Science | 51

ORGANIZATIONS $50,000 and above

Up to $999

Chevron Northrop Grumman

Baton Rouge Magnet High School Bolton High School Erath High School Hageman Family Foundation St. Amant High School

$15,000 to $49,999 Exxon Mobil Corporation Hubert Charitable Foundation Marathon Oil Corporation Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Shell Oil Company $1,000 to $14,999 American Ornithologists Union COG Operating LLC Coypu Foundation Trust Entergy Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center The Jack Webster Grigsby Foundation

Photo by Scott Chachere II, scottchachere.com

1860

SOCIETY

The College of Science 1860 Society recognizes alumni and friends who have made a planned gift to the college that will enrich the college with resources in the future. For more information on the 1860 Society and other planned giving opportunities, go to http://lsu.giftlegacy.com.

Deborah A. DeBram George & Dr. Eileen Skelly Frame Michael G. Griffith Neil R. & Arlene Kestner Virginia L. Mouw James H. Painter James R. & Ann Peltier

Halvor G. Aaslestad Mary Lou Applewhite Larry & Alice Arthur Charles L. Black Sr. Bess K. Black Lodwrick M. Cook Kenneth C. Corkum

dean’s

CIRCLE

Ed Picou & Dan Armstrong James W. Robinson Sr. John B. & Toni A. Sardisco Charles M. Smith Pauline B. Stanley James R. Stewart Marvin E. Stuckey

Loretta C. Stuckey Eugene C. St. Martin Mary L. Tobin Harry J. Wilson Janet N. Younathan

Since 2007, members of the Dean’s Circle have provided the working capital needed to fund many pursuits of the College, including student organizations and educational travel expenses, faculty recruitment and recognition activities, and development initiatives to build alumni and community relations. To learn more about the College of Science Dean’s Circle, e-mail ecentanni@lsufoundation.org.

Dick & Cece Edwards Keith & Karen Evans Guillermo & Sara Ferreyra Charles & Anne Foy Kate & Nathan Freeman L. J. & Chee Chee Gielen John R. Gilmore Darrin & Felicia Gipson Arleen and Charles Goldberg Linda A. Goodrum William H. Goodwin Beverly Greenwell * Robert T. Grissom Trula & James Gross Bill & Mary Helen Hamilton * Reinosuke & Kuni Hara * Marshall & Marie Harper Thomas & Brenda Harrington Frank & Patricia Harrison * Billy & Ann Harrison George & Deborah Harrison John & Terri Havens Dicky & Judy Haydel * George & Mary Helmer Stewart & Lauren Henry * Robert L. Herman Ken & Janet Hogstrom Robert & Joanne Holladay * Michelle & B. B. Holoubek Sarah & Kenneth Homann Wayne & Lynn Homza Keith & Pamela Jorda Bryan & Kerri Lynn Kansas Neil & Arlene Kestner Terren & Maria Klein Amanda Barré Kogos & Philip Kogos Brian R. Kurtz Rich & Helene Kurtz

Arlo & Eunice Landolt Jim & Neilanne Lange Terry & Cheryl Latiolais John & Diane Leglue Rowdy & Donna Lemoine Bill & Marilyn Lovell * Barbara J. Lowery-Yilmaz & Recep Yilmaz Gordon P. Marshall Andrew & Anne Maverick Jarrod & Emily McGehee Kathleen M. McManus Robert & Judith McNew Fred & Misty Meendsen Lawrence & Linda Messina Jason & Jill Miller Laura & Jay Moffitt Marco Moran Ron & Mary Neal * Wayne & Heike Newhauser Edward P. Nixon Amberly & Charles Nunez Stuart & Kim Oden Beverly Ogden & Bayne Dickinson Rodney & Pamela Ott James & Linda Painter * Robert & Susan Perlis Cynthia & Edward Peterson Ed Picou & Dan Armstrong * Charles & Pamela Pinckney Kelly & Joey Poret Jorge Pullin & Gabriela Gonzalez John D. Reeves Joseph & Kim Reid Frankie & Roger Rholdon Xiulu Ruan * Roland & Susan Samson John & Toni Sardisco Carl & Lyn Schmulen

Erik & Angela Scott Fred Sheldon & Jody Kennard Harold & Edna Silverman Wayne & Anne Simpson Jeffrey & Shelly Sketchler Stephen & Sherri Skrivanos Charles M. Smith * Esther Socolofsky George & Karin Sonnier William & Versa Stickle Karen Adler Storthz & Joseph Storthz Marvin E. Stuckey Erich & Shannon Sturgis Estes & Brenda Thomas Jim Traynham & Gresdna Doty * Mel & Diane Triay * Robert & Ellise Turner John & Cynthia Tyler Brent and Louise Videau Jmaes & Janet Walker Mac & Ann Wallace Jan B. Wampold Earl H. Weidner Jasper & Jane Welch Keith & Katie White Carol Wicks & Butler Stringfield Danny & Kay Williamson * Armour C. Winslow Bill & Sheri Wischusen Winnie Wong-Ng Jack & Anna Lea Woods Liangang & Lei Ye Edward & Jo Zganjar Richard P. Zingula *charter members

Maximize

Many employers sponsor matching gift programs and will

your

Samuel & Camille Abshire Bruce & Alicia Adams Ronnie & Denise Alvarez Mary Lou Applewhite * Larry & Alice Arthur Frank & Dianne Auer Byrd & Alice Ball Jeremy & Lu Ellen Bariola Peggy A. Battalora Dennis & Doris Bauer Charles & Mary Belleau Allen & Susan Berlin Charles & Jo Black Meredith M. Blackwell Noelle & Steven Blackwell Pat Hewlett Bodin & Eric Bodin Daniel J. Bonnet George & Debbie Boudreaux Scott & Susan Brodie Brad A. Broussard Stephen T. & Catherine Brown * Jon & Jonell Brubaker Robb & Tiffanie Brumfield Peter & Alice Burland Gary Byerly & Maud Walsh Sybil Callaway & Elias Bou-Waked Elwyn & Ollie Cavin Clarence & Ann Cazalot * Charles W. Chappuis, Jr. Mike & Julie Cherry Purnell & Joan Choppin * Carlo & Beverly Christina * Keith & Cecilia Comeaux Scott G. Comegys Jeanette Coon Bill & Janet Daly Gaston & Mimi Daumy Gregg & Hyacinth DeMar *

find out if your company has a matching gift policy, contact

GIVING Potential

match charitable contributions made by their employees. To its human resources department or visit www.matchinggift. com/lsu/ and type in your company’s name. Retired employees and employees’ spouses may also be eligible for matching programs.

2015 FACTS Enrollment

46% 54%

Undergraduate

1,536 Graduate

63% 37%

521

New Full-time Degree Seeking First-year Students

Degrees awarded Undergraduate Graduate

479

Faculty Enrollment by dept.

Biological Sciences Chemistry

1,145 79 100 120 72

820

83

247

total Tenure-track

205

Geology & Geophysics

Permanent Instructors

42

Mathematics Physics & Astronomy

Research Funding More than

$27 million per year

science.lsu.edu

More than

64%

from federal agencies

NSF NIH DOE DOD

College of Science Dean’s circle membership 160

149

140

124

125

Year 2012

Year 2013

129

120 100

100

102

Year 2010

Year 2011

89

80 60

58 45

40 20 0

Year 2007

Year 2008

Year 2009

Year 2014

Year 2015

LSU College of Science

Mission Statement 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.

vision The vision of the 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 statement 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.

Louisiana State University 124 Hatcher Hall â—? Baton Rouge, LA 70803

Support Research and Scholarship at LSU

Join

the LSU College of Science

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.

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, graduates between 2005-15 are also eligible for DC membership.

Members enjoy invitations to the annual Dean's Circle dinner 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, 3838 West Lakeshore Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808 To donate online, go to lsufoundation.org/givetoscience.