The Pursuit 2014

PURSUIT The

2014

Official magazine of the LSU College of Science

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> Closing the Diversity >

A Tiger Abroad LSU Fulbright In Residence Page 8

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LSU's Role in Helping Meet the Demand for Underrepresented Minorities in STEM | Page 14

IMPROVING SCIENCE COMMUNICATION the Wiki Way Page 13

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T'UXPA: Working and building together Page 27

Message

from the interim dean

Dear Friends, It has been a pleasure serving as interim dean in the College of Science. Our students, faculty and staff are among the best at LSU and it has been an honor to lead such an accomplished group. Nevertheless, I leave you in great hands. LSU has named Dr. Cynthia Peterson as the new dean of the LSU College of Science. I will continue to serve the college as a professor of mathematics and associate dean for science education.

Cynthia is a former professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and associate dean of academic personnel in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. She assumes the dean position on August 1 and I look forward to working with her. Read the next page for a special message from Cynthia.

In addition to the hiring of a new dean, this academic year has been quite eventful.

The university graduated one of the largest classes in its history during our 2014 spring commencement ceremony. This class was also the university's most diverse with a 10.5 percent increase in the number of African American graduates and a 10 percent increase in the number of Hispanic graduates.

I am also pleased to announce that LSU is the top university in the nation in granting PhD degrees in chemistry to women and underrepresented minorities. Read on to learn how LSU System Boyd Professor Isiah Warner and his team in the Office of Strategic Initiatives are helping lead the charge to increase the number of underrepresented students enrolling in STEM programs at Louisiana's flagship institution.

In this edition of The Pursuit, you will also learn about stellar students like Fulbright Scholar Lydia Wilson and her experiences studying cancer care disparities in Croatia, and accomplished alums like Dr. Carrie Whitehill who is using progressive education to help citizens in the small rural community of Salento, Colombia.

So, take a moment and read about the awesome research, discoveries, and other academic pursuits underway in the LSU College of Science. Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Guillermo Ferreyra Interim Dean

Meet

the new dean Greetings!

Please let me take this opportunity to briefly introduce myself. Beginning this August, I will have the great honor of serving as the next Dean of the College of Science at LSU. This campus is special to me. LSU Science launched me into my professional career with an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry earned in 1979. Since that time, I have spent time at LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, the University of California Berkeley and the University of Tennessee Knoxville. You can imagine my excitement on returning home!

When I landed in Baton Rouge to interview for this important job, the familiarity of campus was a great comfort. But many things are new. My eyes were opened to the breadth of scholarship and academic pursuits that comprise the College of Science. A sampling of the exciting activities and accomplishments are included in this magazine. In a word--this is excellence.

My goal is to do my part to help the College of Science continue in that tradition of excellence.

I look forward to teaming with outstanding students, faculty, staff and alumni to enjoy new adventures and discoveries. A priority will be sharing the good news with our readers and supporters.

Thanks for the warm welcome…and Geaux Science!

Cynthia B. Peterson Professor and Dean LSU College of Science

Contents Year in Review......................................................... 4 College News........................................................... 6 Cover Story............................................................. 14 Departmental News Biological Sciences............................................ 18 Chemistry.......................................................... 19 Mathematics...................................................... 21 Geology & Geophysics...................................... 22 Physics & Astronomy........................................ 23 Museum of Natural Science.............................. 24 Alumni & Development News............................... 25

Cover on the

For the last decade, LSU has been the top university in the U.S. in granting PhD degrees in chemistry to women and underrepresented minorities. At the helm of LSU's efforts to broaden the cultural diversity of the campus is the Office of Strategic Initiatives, or OSI, led by LSU System Boyd Professor Isiah Warner. Warner and his team have developed and implemented numerous programs to attract underrepresented minorities to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, or STEM, disciplines, and mentor them through the undergraduate experience on to the completion of their doctoral studies.

PHOTO: LA-STEM Scholars Caitlin Mitchell, Treva Brown (peer mentor), Carrington Cain, Azzy Francis, Craig Richard, Stephen Jones, and Arielle Nabatilan participate in a team building activity at the LSU University Recreation Center as part of the OSI Summer Bridge Program.

Administration Guillermo Ferreyra, interim dean Richard Kurtz, associate dean John Lynn, associate dean Martha Cedotal, sr. assistant dean Sara Marchiafava, sr. assistant dean

Editor Dawn Jenkins

Contributors Ali Castillo Emilia Gilbert Adrian Owen Otisha Paige Frances Watson

Photography April Buffington Eddy Perez Jim Zietz

Dean’s Circle Executive Committee Dr. Mary E. Neal, Chair Dr. Melvin L. Triay III, Vice Chair Dr. Mary Lou Applewhite, Membership Chair Dr. James V. Lange, Communications Chair Angela LaGrange Scott, Outreach Chair Patricia Hewlett Bodin Dr. George L. Boudreaux Dr. Brad A. Broussard Peter D. Burland Gregg A. DeMar Dr. William O. Hamilton Thomas E. Harrington III Michelle K. Holoubek Dr. Bryan T. Kansas Dr. Arlo Landolt Dr. Terry Latiolais Dr. Beverly W. Ogden Edward B. Picou Jr. Charles C. Pinckney Dr. Charles M. Smith

< PHOTO: Graça Vicente, Charles H. Barré Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and director of LSU's Initiative for Maximizing Student Development program, working in her laboratory in the Chemistry and Materials Building.

LSU College of Science

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In

Year Review 2013-2014 ‹‹

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LSU provided a unique learning opportunity for more than 175 middle school students during LSU Space Day, March 28. The students competed in various space-themed competitions and discovered spacerelated college and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math at LSU. “LSU Space Day is a fun way to ignite students’ interest in STEM disciplines and expose them to the programs at LSU in these areas,” said Guillermo Ferreyra, interim dean.

LSU mathematics graduate and 2013 MacArthur Fellow Susan Murphy was the featured speaker for the 2014 Porcelli Lectures held April 28 in the LSU Digital Media Center. Murphy gave two lectures, the first of which was "Getting SMART about Adapting Interventions," followed by"Adaptive Confidence Intervals for Non-smooth Parameters."

Col. Charles Chappuis, graduate of the LSU College of Science and the LSU School of Medicine, was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General during a May 4 ceremony at the Jackson Barracks Museum. Chappuis served four tours in support of Operation Iraqi and Enduring Freedom, led the 159th Medical Group in the relief effort at the Louisiana Superdome following Hurricane Katrina, and served as Medical Commander in Belle Chasse caring for all military forces stationed in the area following Hurricane Katrina. ‹‹

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Math and computer science major Brandon Oubre and math major Paxton Turner have been awarded the prestigious, nationally competitive Goldwater Scholarship by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program. Rachael Keller, also a math major, and Paul Koenig, a chemistry major, received Honorable Mention. All four students are members of the LSU Honors College, and Oubre is also a LA-STEM Research Scholar. ‹‹

Emma Arceneaux, biological sciences graduate, was named homecoming queen during the halftime of the LSU vs Furman game, October 26, 2013. In addition to Arceneaux, five other science majors were members of the homecoming court: Sara Beth Theriot (biological sciences), Tuan Tran (biological sciences), Sara Hazlewood (mathematics concentrated in secondary education), Jacob Boudreaux (biochemistry), and Gabriella Darden (mathematics).

A GRADUATION SELFIE | Zack Weilenman, May 2014 College of Science graduate, captured this selfie with Interim Dean Guillermo Ferreyra and fellow graduates as they helped Ferreyra end the ceremony by singing the LSU Alma Mater.

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Patricia Bodin, 1972 LSU mathematics graduate, was named LSU Alumna of the Year during the LSU Alumni Association's 2014 Hall of Distinction event. Other College of Science graduates honored were John Havens, geology, 1978, and Charles Kaufman, microbiology, 1971.

LSU's Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes presented Guillermo Ferreyra, LSU College of Science interim dean, with the BASF Professor of Excellence Award during the halftime of the LSU vs Texas A&M football game.

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More than 300 first-time freshmen participated in the college's one-week summer boot camp. To date, more than 30 institutions have replicated or plan to replicate the program.

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Twenty-four rising eighth grade students from Sherwood Middle School in Baton Rouge participated in LSU Math/Science Week, June 23-27.

The Science Residential College, Engineering Residential College, and Honors College hosted the second annual Women in STEM program, March 27. Panel guests included Yolunda Taylor, biology alumnus and OBGYN; Kelly Poret, geology alumnus and geologist with Stone Energy Corporation; Cynthia Peterson, biochemistry alumnus and incoming dean of the LSU College of Science; Mette Gaarde, LSU professor of physics and astronomy; Evanna Gleeson, LSU professor of biological sciences; and Ginger Brininstool, instructor of biological sciences.

A paper, “Marine teleost locates live prey through pH sensing,” by John Caprio, LSU George C. Kent Professor of Biological Sciences, and colleagues from Japan, was published in the June 6 edition of Science. The researchers' work is the first report of any fish using pH to find live prey.

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The College of Science recognized the achievements of its top students and faculty during the 39th Annual Choppin Honors Convocation. More than 60 recognitions were given including awards for College of Science outstanding sophomore, junior, and senior and faculty honors for teaching and research.

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The Morehouse College Hopps Defense Research Scholars visited LSU March 12 to learn more about the research and graduate opportunities available at Louisiana's flagship university. The Hopps Scholars program is an initiative to double the number of underrepresented minority males pursuing graduate study in STEM.

Prosanta Chakrabarty, assistant professor of biological sciences and curator of fishes in the LSU Museum of Natural Science, and colleagues at the University of Kentucky have discovered the first new U.S. cavefish species in 40 years.

LSU College of Science | 5

Distinguished and

Faculty STAFF

This was an outstanding year for the faculty and staff in the LSU College of Science. There were too many national recognitions and honors to list them all, but here is a sampling of faculty and staff recognized for their stellar work.

Ward Plummer, LSU professor of physics & astronomy, has been named a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most prestigious honorary societies. The 2014 class includes Pulitzer Prizeâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;winning journalist Ann Marie Lipinski, atmospheric scientist Inez Fung, 2011 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry Dan Shechtman, novelist and screenwriter John Irving, and actor/director Al Pacino.

Plummer, a nationally-recognized physicist, is also the special assistant to the vice chancellor of research and economic development and director of the Institute for Advanced Materials. He has authored more than 380 refereed papers and is counted among the 1,000 Most Cited Physicists.

LSU Chemistry Chair and William White Tison Professor Luigi Marzilli was awarded the 2014 Charles H. Herty Medal, which recognizes outstanding chemists in the Southeastern United States. The Herty Medal is a solid gold medallion awarded annually by the Georgia Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS). It is the third oldest unrestricted multi-state, regional or national annual award given by the ACS or any of its units.

One of the first recipients of the award (1938) was Charles E. Coates who established both the departments of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at LSU. Another Herty Medal winner who was at LSU during the time of the award was Mary Good. Good began her career in the Chemistry Department, rising to the rank of Boyd professor during her 25 years at LSU.

LSU System Boyd Professor of Biological Sciences and Dr. Mary Lou Applewhite Distinguished Professor Mark Batzer is a 2014 SEC Faculty Achievement Award winner. These annual awards recognize a faculty member from each SEC university who demonstrates outstanding records of teaching, research, and scholarship.

Robby Bowen, College of Science counselor and premedical advisor, is the recipient of the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) Outstanding Advising Award. Bowen will be honored at a special awards ceremony and reception to be held at the annual NACADA Conference in Minneapolis this fall.

LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy Chair Michael Cherry, and Math Professor Lawrence Smolinsky were appointed to Roy Paul Daniels Professorships. Cherry joined the physics faculty at LSU in 1988 and has been its chairperson since 2007. During his chairmanship, Cherry has led the development of a joint PhD program with Nanjing University of China, a program that is the first of its kind at LSU. He also played a significant role in establishing formal relationships with Southern University and A&M College through the NSF-funded Joint Faculty Appointments Program, or JFAP, which has resulted in the hiring of two Physics & Astronomy faculty with joint appointments at LSU and Southern.

Smolinsky, the director of and lead faculty in the concentration of actuarial science, has spearheaded the hiring of outstanding faculty who have changed the culture of the LSU Department of Mathematics.

He also served as the principal investigator of the Board of Regents grant that initiated LSU’s dual enrollment program, and holds the position of coauthor and co-principal investigator for the Vertical Integration of Research and Education in the Mathematical Sciences, or VIGRE grant.

Van Remsen, John S. McIlhenny Professor of Biological Sciences and curator of birds for the LSU Museum of Natural Science, is the 2013 recipient of the William Brewster Memorial Award, one of the highest honors given annually by the American Ornithologist's Union (AOU). The award recognizes the author or co-authors of an exceptional body of work on birds of the Western Hemisphere.

Charles H. Barré Distinguished Professor of Chemistry Graça Vicente was awarded more than $2 million from the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, to fund Phase III of the Initiative for Maximizing Student Development, or IMSD. Vicente serves as the director of IMSD, which provides research training, academic development and career opportunities in the biomedical and behavioral sciences to underrepresented minority graduate and undergraduate students at LSU.

Susanne Brenner, Michael F. and Roberta Nesbit McDonald Professor of Mathematics, was recognized for her outstanding accomplishments in research and scholarship with the designation Distinguished Research Master.

Patrick F. Taylor Chair of Environmental Chemistry Barry Dellinger is the recipient of the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) National Award for Creative Advances in Environmental Science & Technology. The award, sponsored by the ACS Division of Environmental Chemistry and the ACS Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, honored Dellinger for his pioneering research on the sources, origin and environmental chemistry of combustion generated pollutants, specifically highlighting his work on polychlorinated dibenzo-pdioxins and dibenzofurans, or PCDD/F’s.

Dellinger also leads LSU’s Superfund Research Center. In 2011, he received more than $11 million from the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, or NIEHS, to continue the university’s Superfund Research Center and focus its research on EnvironmentallyPersistent Free Radicals, or EPFRs.

LSU is one of a select group of universities in the United States to establish this program. IMSD has been supported since 2004 by the National Institutes of Health. The third round of funding for IMSD provides support through 2018.

Phase I included a $546,000 award for four years (2004-2008) and Phase II was a competitive renewal for the following four years of $970,000 (2009-2013).

LSU College of Science | 7

A Tiger

abroad

LSU Fulbright Scholar Examines Cancer Care Disparities in Croatia LSU medical physics student Lydia Wilson has been on a journey of a lifetime. In October 2014, she began a nine-month stay in Croatia where she is studying disparities in radiotherapy cancer treatment as part of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

Her research focuses on treatments for the five most common cancers: breast, prostate, lung, colorectal, and anal. Croatia’s incidence rate of cancer is nearly equal to that of the United States, but Croatia’s cancer mortality rate is almost twice as high.

The Chicago native fell in love with the country after travelling there with her grandparents as a teenager. Her grandfather was born in Croatia and a number of her relatives reside on the Croatian Island of Korčula.

“In America we raise lots of money to support cancer research and treatment. I want to make sure that everyone has access to quality cancer treatment, whether they are in the U.S. or a developing country,” said Wilson.

“Ever since I was a kid I wanted to live there,” said Wilson, who spent more than a year preparing her Fulbright application.

Months into her stay, Wilson has observed that the treatment disparities are numerous and of many different types and causes.

Harald Leder, director of LSU Academic Programs Abroad, guided her through the arduous application process.

“It is hard to really quantify what the exact disparities are, but I am seeing differences in treatment practices that new developments have improved upon,” said Wilson.

“Ms. Wilson’s preparation was exemplary. The process is very involved and requires a lot of dedication and detailed work, apart from the academic excellence,” said Leder.

While in Croatia, Wilson is observing medical physicists and therapists at five radiotherapy centers in Croatia, but most of her time is spent at the Zagreb Cancer Clinic located in the country’s capital city.

8 | The PURSUIT

“Some barriers to adopting more current treatment options are lack of funding, disharmony among the resident medical physicists, and a shortage of medical physics training programs, which in turn leads to a shortage of trained medical physics staff well versed in the latest treatments. Unfortunately, a lot of the issues boil down to the current economic situation in Croatia, which is not good,” said Wilson.

In an effort to unify the medical physicists at the clinics, Lydia established a “Friday Coffee Break” to get the staff together in the same room and help open the lines of communication. She also helped implement regular meetings between the physicists and doctors to discuss new treatment techniques and any issues relative to treatment capability, especially when treatment plans are providing the expected result.

In addition to her research pursuits, the multi-talented and multi-tasking scholar has been involved in a number of other activities while in Croatia.

Wilson, an accomplished musician—she plays the oboe—played in her very first concert in Croatia this past December.

She has also played in various community bands in four other U.S. cities and two countries. The certified Zumba instructor also participated in a Croatia Zumbathon to benefit an organization for children with cancer, and introduced more than 300 students to medical physics during a series of lectures about the discipline and the U.S. college and university system.

Wilson also had a chance to reconnect with family members living in Croatia; she has cousins living in Zagreb.

“It was nice to know that I have family nearby if I ever get in a bind,” said Wilson.

Initially, Wilson’s Fulbright experience was to end in June, but it has been extended to December. She will be returning to the U.S. for Christmas and will start working on her PhD at LSU in the spring.

“I plan to keep in touch with the incredible physicists I’ve met and continue to help them with the exciting work they’re doing to develop medical physics training programs, gain official recognition of medical physics as a health care profession, and implement regulations and monitoring so that the regulations are followed,” said Wilson.

“The drive and perseverance to push towards better, safer, and more accessible treatments here is just incredible and inspiring. At the very least, it’s something that I will always remember and that will definitely help me as I move forward with my work away from Croatia. If they can keep working towards a better tomorrow in Croatia when faced with so much opposition from the strangest places, surely I can overcome whatever I’m faced with.”

Wilson talks with LSU System President and Chancellor F. King Alexander after being recognized during an LSU Board of Supervisors meeting.

Wilson stands after playing the oboe in her first concert in Croatia.

GRAD on the

Geaux Graduate Uses GeauxTeach as a Springboard for Medical School Willie Talbert has known his entire life that he wanted to be a doctor. He was inspired by the fictitious Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable, the doting dad and obstetrician portrayed by Bill Cosby, on the widely popular Cosby Show.

“I initially wanted to do pediatrics, but I was able to shadow a cardiologist at the Baton Rouge Cardiology Clinic and it changed my perspective. It was a really great experience,” said Talbert.

In 2009, Talbert enrolled at LSU as a biological sciences major and later added a secondary education minor through the GeauxTeach Program, which gives students an opportunity to graduate with a BS in math or science and be certified and highly-qualified to teach in that subject area.

All incoming freshmen received an email about GeauxTeach, but it was the program’s introductory class that persuaded Talbert to enroll.

“I initially enrolled in GeauxTeach thinking that it would look great on my medical school application,” said Talbert. “It was a boost because they don’t see folks who are qualified to teach and go into medicine, but it was the teaching that helped me to be successful in my science course work.”

Talbert, a fall 2013 graduate, is enjoying life as an LSU alum.

“Life after graduation is refreshing,” said Talbert. “It is nice to not have to juggle studying and working, but I miss it and will miss it more as time goes on.”

10 | The PURSUIT

After graduation, he realized that he had approximately eight months before the start of medical school. He will be attending the LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans in August. This free time was a great opportunity to put his GeauxTeach experience to good use.

Denham Springs High School, Talbert’s alma mater, was looking for an experienced biology and chemistry teacher and his GeauxTeach preparation equipped him to step in.

“With GeauxTeach, you can have a job immediately after graduation,” said Talbert. “Schools are always looking for good math and science teachers.”

“I felt a lot more comfortable teaching with a degree in biological sciences. I know the content and I received tons of classroom experience. It was an easy transition to the classroom. I was confident in my teaching skills because I had the experience to back it up,” adds Talbert.

While at LSU, Talbert was a member of the Tiger Transition Team, which paired upperclassmen with incoming freshmen to help them transition from high school to college life. He was a TOPS student and also received a scholarship for graduating valedictorian of his high school class.

Talbert credits his parents for his success.

“My parents were there when I needed them. They helped as much as they possibly could supporting me in every way so that I could focus on school,” said Talbert.

Physics Graduate Student Tackles 50-Year Old Puzzle In physics and throughout the scientific disciplines there are a number of age-old enigmas yet to be addressed, resolved, or understood. Alison Dreyfuss, a first year PhD student in physics, has managed to tackle one puzzle that has been somewhat of a mystery for 50 years.

Dreyfuss’ work has provided novel insight into understanding the microscopic structure of Carbon-12, including a state predicted by British astronomer Fred Hoyle in 1954. Hoyle proposed that Carbon-12 has an excited state that had never been seen before. The idea is that Carbon-12 would form readily in this state and then decay to its ground state, giving off a well defined amount of energy (7.6 MeV). This state, now called the Hoyle state, is a key step in nucleosynthesis—the process by which heavier elements are produced inside stars.

Dreyfuss began her research while a student in the NSF-supported Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program, or REU, at LSU. Her work focused on the emergence of cluster substructures in Carbon-12 starting from the position and momentum of each of its 12 constituent particles. To do this, she used a no-core symplectic shell model, a new model that allowed her to expand the model space available to the Carbon particles, selecting configurations and components of the interaction found to be most responsible for the primary physics that governs the Hoyle state.

At the time, Dreyfuss was not fully aware of the importance of her research.

“I was working all summer on this research and did not completely understand the impact that it would have,” said Dreyfuss.

Her findings have been published in the December edition of Physics Letters B, a journal devoted to nuclear and particle physics.

Her work will impact investigations in nuclear physics and astrophysics and will advance the overarching program of LSU’s nuclear physics group.

“She was so excited about physics all of the time,” said Dreyfuss.

“She danced, she sang, and even made terrible jokes to keep us interested.”

After high school, Dreyfuss enrolled in Keene State College in New Hampshire where she fully intended to major in physics.

“The math department just latched on to me faster than the physics department, so I opted to major in both pure/applied math and math/physics,” said Dreyfuss.

While a junior at Keene State, a classmate who had been accepted to one of the REU programs introduced Dreyfuss to the idea. She applied and was accepted to the LSU Physics Department’s REU program where she then learned of Kristina Launey’s research as a member of Professor Jerry Draayer’s theoretical nuclear physics group.

“I thought that I was a great fit for this group since the research was more math-based,” said Dreyfuss, who decided to pursue a PhD in physics at LSU two years after her REU experience.

Not to be content with debunking physics mysteries, the multitalented physicist is also the lead singer in a swing band. Prior to graduate school, she spent a year traveling throughout the country and continues to perform.

The rising scientist was inspired to pursue a career in math and physics by her high school physics teacher.

Left: Density profile of the 12 particles in the Hoyle state of Carbon; Right: Nucleus of Carbon-12 in the Hoyle state from a fully microscopic no-core shellmodelframework.

LSU College of Science | 11

and

Living learning

together

By Otisha Paige

Science Residential College Inspires Community Learning More than 200 incoming freshmen resided in Evangeline Hall this year as members of the LSU Science Residential College, or SRC. This community of learners have shared the growing pains and victories of the freshmen year together taking classes together, studying together, and navigating their new college environment together.

Many of the SRC students credit the program for their academic and personal achievements providing evidence of the overall success of the program.

Currently in its fifth year, the SRC provides an on-campus living and learning experience tailor-made to give science majors an enriching education beyond the four walls of a classroom.

“The SRC offers many opportunities for science majors to succeed in their classes,” said Nick Bologna, freshman, biological sciences major. “This program has benefited me by offering study opportunities and help from fellow SRC residents.”

Bologna also credits the SRC for marked improvements in his class performance.

“I have succeeded in my classes this first semester with the help of the SRC and anticipate another great semester,” said Bologna.

George Jeha and Imane Faust echo Bologna’s sentiments regarding the welcoming atmosphere and camaraderie among the SRC students.

Faust credits the SRC for helping her to become more outgoing and enjoys the close-knit nature of the community.

12 | The PURSUIT

“When I first heard about the program, the idea that I would be sharing classes with many of the same people I share a dorm with drew me in,” shared Faust.

The SRC program offers research opportunities for various fields of interest, study sessions, one-on-one guidance from faculty, onsite academic advising, and opportunities to explore a plethora of careers available to science majors such as medicine and dentistry.

Christopher Gregg, biological sciences instructor and SRC rector, reported that the program has a retention rate between 85 and 90 percent, which is higher than the College of Science average.

He attributes this to the strong SRC student community and the opportunity for SRC students to take cohort classes in math and science.

“It makes it very easy for them to form study groups,” said Gregg.

“Faculty also have office hours in Evangeline Hall and they come for review sessions.”

"The program also tracks the students’ academic progress and refers them to resources to improve their success," adds Gregg.

Currently, Evangeline Hall houses 204 students. Gregg anticipates expanding the program within the residence halls that make up the horseshoe on LSU’s campus.

For more information on the Science Residential College, visit science.lsu.edu OR lsu.edu/reslife.

CxC Coordinator Uses Wikipedia to Build Students’ Communication Skills Writing for all the world to see is an intimidating proposition for most, but LSU Communications across the Curriculum (CxC) Coordinator Becky Carmichael is up for the challenge, and she is teaching faculty and students at LSU how they can do the same.

While completing her graduate studies at LSU and working as a teaching assistant for a Conservation Biology class, Carmichael volunteered as a Wikipedia Ambassador for the Wikipedia Education Program in the United States. As an ambassador, Carmichael incorporated Wiki into class assignments, and guided students as they contributed to Wikipedia content.

Since that time, Carmichael has helped 13 classes use the free online encyclopedia to improve the communication skills of LSU students across disciplines and the quality of content available online.

“There are millions of people searching the web for everything from puppies to photosynthesis and usually the first thing that shows up in a Google search is Wikipedia,” said Carmichael. “It is such an exciting way to get quality information to the masses.”

The Wikipedia centered assignments are designed for the needs of the class. Carmichael works with the faculty and students to develop strong topic sentences and organize the information into a logical flow that allows complex science to be translated into information that everyone can understand.

Carmichael has worked with a number of LSU faculty to incorporate Wikipedia in their coursework. LSU biologists Gary King and Cameron Thrash selected a particular bacterium and their students built a Wikipedia page with verified information about the organism.

Assistant Geology Professor Alex Webb included Wikipedia assignments in his Plate Tectonics and Development of Terrestrial Planets courses, and Biology Professor Kyle Harms and Landscape Architecture Professor Bruce Sharkey paired up to offer a cross-disciplinary opportunity for biology and architecture students interested in conservation issues. The biology students chose a conservation topic relative to landscape architecture and the architecture students developed a graphic to support the content.

“These types of exercises teach students how to collaborate, write for diverse audiences, and receive constructive criticism and feedback,” said Carmichael.

Communication the Wiki Way The classes are also contributing solid references adding to the quality of the Wikipedia content by supplying scientifically verified information. Some student contributions have even made the “Did You Know” section of the Wiki home page, which highlights the top new and recently improved Wiki content.

“There are many different types of social media—Wikipedia, blogs, YouTube channels—and it is really nice to show students how to be flexible and evolve the way they communicate,” said Carmichael.

Wikipedia also provides a very transparent way to view students’ level of contribution. Faculty can observe progress in content development and the growth of their communication skills because faculty, and anyone around the globe for that matter, can view the students’ edits, content, and interactions with other Wikipedia editors.

“Sometimes this makes the students very nervous,” said Carmichael.

“They are a bit unnerved because anyone can talk to them, but this is how we improve the quality of the content. The feedback is constructive and the redirection occurs in a pleasant and productive environment. The students work very hard to make sure that the information they are putting out is good.”

Carmichael noted that sometimes the faculty are a bit apprehensive about incorporating Wikipedia into their classes given the often trivial ways social media is used.

“Twitter, Facebook, and other forms or social media could be used to effectively educate, promote, and share information with a mass audience,” said Carmichael.

“I worry about how literate we are in the sciences and how much information is available through online journals and other electronic publications. Those of us who are the experts, can translate this information, so that it is accurate, easily understood, and available to everyone.”

LSU College of Science NEWS | 13

CLOSING THE

DIVERSITY GAP

LA-STEM Scholars Andrew Oliver, Azzy Francis, and Kristian Black make silly putty during the OSI Summer Bridge Program.

LSU's Role in Helping Meet the Growing Demand for Underrepresented Minorities in STEM The U.S. is known for producing some of the world’s top scientists, but an aging workforce—many of the baby boomers are set to retire at the end of the decade—and a decline in the number of students, throughout the academic pipeline pursuing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields— could prove formidable obstacles to our production of scientific innovators.

A White House report, Engage to Excel, prepared by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, predicts a shortage of approximately 1 million new STEM professionals in the next decade. The report also notes that while women and underrepresented minorities now constitute roughly 70 percent of today’s college students, only 45 percent of these students receive STEM degrees. These groups represent a potential source to expand the U.S. pool of STEM professionals, but the rationale for increasing diversity in STEM extends beyond the numbers. Research has historically shown that diversity in gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic background brings multiple perspectives to problem solving resulting in more effective solutions.

14 | The PURSUIT

LSU has listed diversity among its chief goals in its five-year strategic plan, aptly titled Flagship 2020. The plan commits to strengthening the intellectual environment by broadening the cultural diversity of the LSU community by increasing diversity among faculty, staff, and students; increasing the number of students who work with or live in diverse communities; and expanding supporting communities for minority, international, and first generation students.

The Office of Strategic Initiatives, or OSI, led by Vice Chancellor and LSU System Boyd Professor Isiah Warner, oversees LSU’s efforts to diversify its STEM environment. Warner, who is also the Philip W. West Professor of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor, arrived at LSU in 1992. Until then, there had been no more than six African American Ph.D. students in the history of the university’s chemistry program. In the last 12 years, LSU has made significant improvements and now averages more than 30 African American chemistry PhD students in the program per year.

Isiah Warner, vice chancellor, LSU Office of Strategic Initiatives and Philip W. West Professor of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry

In fact, a recent study in the Journal of Chemical Education, “Trends in Ph.D. Productivity and Diversity in Top-50 U.S. Chemistry Departments: An Institutional Analysis” ranks LSU as the top producer of African American PhDs and women PhDs in chemistry in the U.S. This success is not by happenstance, but is due to a carefully developed and implemented plan to recruit, retain, and graduate underrepresented minorities at all degree levels at LSU.

LSU Diversity

by the numbers LSU Student Enrollment

by Racial/Ethnic Category Fall 2013

“Over the last ten years, one out of every 11 African American chemistry PhDs in the entire country has come from LSU,” said Warner, who admitted that these are substantial gains, but there is still more work to be done.

(undergraduate and graduate)

“One of the barriers to increasing the numbers of minorities in STEM is that in general they attend poor schools located in poor communities. Particularly in Louisiana, our kids are not getting the best education that they can get,” said Warner.

“We need a national model that allows bright minds to be educated at the same level regardless of where they live. Students who come from these poor underperforming schools are stigmatized and told that they are not bright. This is not true.”

According to the National Math and Science Initiative, only 70 percent of students in public high schools graduate, and only 32 percent leave high school prepared for four-year colleges. Of these students, only 51 percent of African American students and 52 percent of Hispanic students graduate, and only 20 percent of African American students and 16 percent of Hispanic students leave high school college ready.

“The culture of science and engineering is not like the humanities in the sense of creativity and different views and perspectives being openly embraced. Science and engineering tend to feature those with traditional experiences following the traditional path, but the community is beginning to realize that this narrowness limits what we can do in science and engineering,” said Gloria Thomas, a 2002 PhD graduate of LSU's chemistry program and current OSI executive director of research, education, and mentoring.

Gloria Thomas, executive director, LSU Office of Strategic Initiatives, and 2002 LSU chemistry PhD graduate

OSI has helped students to move beyond these obstacles by providing the guidance and support they need to complete their undergraduate and graduate studies. This success is due in part to an overarching activity common throughout OSI-led programs, “Hierarchical Mentoring.” This approach, coined by Warner, involves every member of the academic community in mentoring students through a pipeline that starts from the time students enter the program through completion of the PhD. “Everyone is supported with this model,” said Thomas. “Faculty mentor post docs, post docs mentor graduate students, graduate students mentor undergraduates, undergraduates mentor high school students, and there is also a peer mentoring component.”

Mentoring is an essential part of two stellar OSI programs: the Louisiana Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Research Scholars Program, or LA-STEM, and the Louisiana Broadening Resources for Increasing Diversity in Graduate Education Program, or Bridge to the Doctorate.

Founded in 2003 with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Louisiana Board of Regents, and Research Corporation, LA-STEM takes a holistic approach to preparing future STEM leaders. The students enter the program as freshman and progress as a cohort through their senior year. Though a large percentage of the LASTEM students are underrepresented minorities, the program is open to all high achieving STEM students.

“What we have found with the LA-STEM program is that the training is a bit different for everyone when education takes place in a diverse environment. Even non-minority students leave the program with a mindset that is quite different,” said Thomas.

Asian/ Pacific Islander 3%

Unknown 0.6%

African Am 11% Native Am/ Native Alaskan 0.3%

White 73%

Non Resident 5% Two/More Races 2%

Hispanic 5%

Native Hawaiian 0.1%

LSU College of Science Student Enrollment by Racial/Ethnic Category Fall 2013 (undergraduate and graduate)

White

68%

Two/ more Races

2%

African Am

Hispanic

Asian

7%

4%

7%

Non Resident

Native Am/ Alaskan

Unknown 0.6%

11%

0.3%

Native Hawaiian

0.1%

LSU Gender and Ethnicity Statistics Fall 2013 (undergraduate and graduate)

 Male 48%

Female 52%

LSU College of Science Gender and Ethnicity Statistics (undergraduate and graduate)

 Male 54%

Statistics: LSU Office of Budget and Planning

Female 46%

“Our LA-STEM program has doubled the six-year graduation rate in STEM. The Goldwater Scholars, Tiger Twelve, Graduate Research Fellows and other high performing and nationally recognized students at LSU are products of LA-STEM.” As LA-STEM ushers students through the undergraduate portion of the pipeline, the Bridge to the Doctorate, funded by the NSF Louisiana Alliance for Minority Participation Program, guides them through the completion of the Ph.D. Now in its sixth iteration, the program offers a two-year $30,000 fellowship in addition to individualized faculty mentoring and coaching, funding for students to attend national and international research conferences, and enriched academic services and support.

“Mentoring and funding is critical because some of these students are transitioning from smaller minority serving institutions to LSU, which has more than 30,000 students and a very different demographic,” said Thomas.

OSI hosts monthly meetings to help the students navigate a large university environment and take advantage of the on-campus assistance available to them.

Over the last ten years, one out of every 11 African American chemistry PhDs in the entire country has come from LSU.

“We are empowering them with the tools they need to succeed. We trust the academic areas to provide the content, skill set, and other knowledge needed in the discipline, but we enhance the students’ educational experience by empowering them with other necessary tools like time management and stress management, and mentoring,” said Thomas.

All of the students served by OSI programs are federally funded, approximately $37 million over the last 12 years, but federal dollars are becoming increasingly competitive. The LA-STEM program has reached the end of its funding cycle and the OSI team is exploring private funding opportunities.

The LSU College of Science is also committed to increasing the number of underrepresented minorities who hold faculty positions. Prosanta Chakrabarty, assistant professor of biological sciences and curator of fishes for the LSU Museum of Natural Sciences, chairs the college’s Diversity Committee.

“Our goal is to make the gender and ethnic diversity of the faculty look more like the diversity among the undergraduate population," said Chakrabarty.

"We work directly with the dean of the College of Science and are essentially a think tank composed of members from each of the departments,."

The Diversity Committee is spearheading a variety of initiatives to grow the number of minority faculty in STEM at LSU. “We ask that every search committee have one person stand as the diversity advocate. This person’s role is to increase the number of minority applicants in a search by contacting scientific organizations and asking for help to recruit minority candidates to apply for the position,” said Chakrabarty.

The committee has also created a special “hybrid” position, a Research Assistant Professorship that is part postdoctoral fellowship in that the candidate is assigned a position in an existing faculty member’s laboratory, and part assistant professorship in that they are given a mentoring committee of other faculty and the ability to apply for grants as a primary investigator.

“The goal of creating this position is to recruit candidates from underrepresented groups and help them build curriculum vitae that will prepare them for a future tenure track position,” said Chakrabarty.

“Professors are role models, and having diverse role models at LSU will attract STEM students who are also of varied backgrounds and experiences. Having LSU stand for unity among a varied populace is important in that we can set a positive example and continue being a leader in training the next generation of STEM students.”

Top: LA-STEM scholars participate in chemistry demostrations in George Stanley's laboratory as part of the OSI Summer Bridge Institute.

Left: Alicia McCall, chemistry graduate who earned her PhD through OSI's Bridge to the Doctorate program.

Professor Receives Inaugural Socolofsky Teaching Excellence Award Associate Professor of Mathematics Stephen Shipman is one of the hardest working faculty in the LSU Department of Mathematics.

He has solidified a reputation as an outstanding educator and staunch student advocate. Why would such a faculty member warrant an unannounced visit from the department chair and College of Science dean?

Rewarding

Excellence From left: Robert Perlis, chair, Department of Mathematics; Stephen Shipman, associate professor of mathematics; Guillermo Ferreyra, interim dean, College of Science; and Terry Latiolais, former chair of the College of Science Dean's Circle Executive Committee.

As Guillermo Ferreyra, interim dean of the College of Science, entered Shipman's 11:30 a.m. class, the professor relinquished his stance at the head of the classroom and carefully took a seat next to one of his students awaiting the dean's obviously very important announcement. Accompanying the dean were Robert Perlis, chair of the mathematics department, Terry Latiolais, College of Science Dean's Circle member and former chair of the Dean's Circle Executive Committee, a cameraman, and an entourage of college students and staff.

As Ferreyra spoke, he detailed an extensive list of Shipman's accomplishments and applauded his commitment to his students.

Much to Shipman's surprise, his outstanding teaching record was to blame for the class interruption. On this March morning, he was awarded the first ever Dr. Marion "Soc" Socolofsky Teaching Excellence Award.

“Stephen embodies Socolofsky’s dedication to teaching and mentorship,” said Guillermo Ferreyra, interim dean, LSU College of Science.

“He advises student clubs and has mentored students from high school to PhD. The successes of his students are a testament to his stellar teaching ability. It was an honor to present him with the first Socolofsky Teaching Award."

Ferreyra presented Shipman with a plaque and monetary gift from the College of Science Dean's Circle.

The Dr. Marion “Soc” Socolofsky Award for Teaching Excellence was established by the Dean's Circle Executive Committee in 2013 to recognize faculty that have shown a commitment to teaching that goes above and beyond. Award nominations are initiated by student and faculty recommendations and recipients are selected by College of Science alumni and friends.

The award honors the legacy of Marion Socolofsky, a fierce student advocate and one of the college’s most influential leaders and educators. Throughout Socolofsky’s 36 years at LSU, he taught microbiology to more than 12,000 students and advised more than 250 master’s and PhD students.

"The delight in seeing a student mature and succeed and find enjoyment in her or his learning experience has always added an extra dimension to my profession," said Shipman. "I appreciate the significance of this award and will continue to do my best to live up to Dr. Socolofsky's example by caring for my students."

Shipman earned a PhD from the University of Arizona. His research focuses on mathematical problems that arise in the study of waves in composite materials. He currently teaches Mathematical Topics in Material Science. Prior to joining the faculty at LSU, he was a visiting research professor at Duke University.

LSU College of Science NEWS | 17

Biological Sciences

LSU Biologist Identifies Twist in African Cichlids’ Courtship Ritual LSU Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Karen Maruska is making new gains with her research on African cichlids and their use of acoustics and chemoreception for courtship.

The African cichlid fish species peaked Maruska’s interest because of their social behaviors and ease of manipulation. This species, Astatotilapia burtoni, which can be found in Lake Tanganyika in East Africa, houses two types of males: subordinate and dominant.

Within a population, dominants make up 10 to 30 percent of males. The environmental composition dictates who has subordinate or dominant status at any given time.

Much like other dominant organisms, the dominant males protect their respective territories and attract mates while the subordinate fish associate frequently with the females. The subordinate males' lack of territory ownership and absence of dominance behaviors greatly lessens his chances for breeding.

Fortunately for the subordinate males, small windows of opportunity arise for them to supersede their status and become dominant. This phenomenon can occur when a dominant male is removed from the territory or is successfully challenged by a subordinate. Within a short period of time (minutes), the newly promoted male transforms his physiology, behavior, and reproductive system to model the dominant male. Future research in the Maruska lab is aimed at identifying the mechanisms that might initiate and control this sudden transformation.

“It makes sense that these animals would want to transition really quickly because the sooner they get into the territory, the sooner they can advertise to everyone around them that this is their new territory and then they can focus on attracting females to mate with,” said Maruska.

Maruska and colleagues from Stanford University conducted a series of studies in which they manipulated males by transforming a subordinate male to a dominant status and vice versa.

These manipulations provided ample opportunities to examine how the brain and reproductive system changes as these males transition between high-ranking and low-ranking status, a phenomenon that occurs in most animals living in social groups.

Top left: the African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni; bottom left: Maruska's lab with tanks of the African Cichlids

Dominant males initiate their courtship ritual with visual body quivers and simultaneously produce a distinct sound.

Females that are sexually receptive hear this sound better than females that have already spawned, and females prefer males that are making sounds over ones that are not. Males and females also signal to each other by releasing pulses of urine,

The

Courtship

By Otisha Paige

Karen Maruska feeds the African Cichlids in her lab.

presumably carrying pheromone compounds. These recent discoveries of the courtship ritual open the door to future work aimed at discovering where these different senses are processed in the fish brain, how they interact, and how they can influence behavior.

Special spots on the male’s fin called egg spots trick the female into thinking she left some eggs behind, so her initial response is to pick those eggs up. This stimulates the male to release sperm and fertilize the eggs inside her mouth. The female holds the developing eggs in her mouth for two weeks as they grow and the mother risks emaciation due to lack of eating. The females’ mouthbrooding behavior allows the researchers to shed light on how the brain controls feeding and reproduction at the appropriate times. This work may also provide insights relevant to weightrelated human health issues.

There are a few thousand species of cichlids in existence. These various groups provide researchers like Maruska with excellent models for studying the neural, molecular, and evolutionary bases of social behaviors.

“I have a great group of students here at LSU and some great collaborators at other institutions that help out with these projects, and there is always something new to discover.” said Maruska.

Maruska received a bachelor’s degree from University of New Hampshire, a master’s degree from Florida Tech, a Ph.D. from University of Hawaii, and was a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University. She is a 2013 recipient of the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, an award given to junior faculty by Oak Ridge Associated Universities.

chemistry

New Faculty Help Reignite Physical Chemistry Focus at LSU The LSU Department of Chemistry is experiencing a renaissance of sorts as it works to reignite its physical chemistry pursuits. This renewal is fueled by four newly hired chemistry faculty who are bringing a wealth of knowledge and resources to the university’s physical chemistry area.

Assistant professors of chemistry Louis Haber, Revati Kumar, Daniel Kuroda, and Kenneth Lopata offer diverse perspectives on physical chemistry, but there is a central theme that connects them resulting in a collaboration that will prove quite successful.

Haber joined the department in spring 2012 after completing post doc work at Columbia University.

He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of California Berkeley in 2002, followed by a PhD in 2009. Haber brings a particularly exciting skill to the physical chemistry team. He uses ultrafast lasers, with pulses of light that are condensed to the femtosecond timescale, to observe chemical and physical dynamics for potential advances of applications in solar energy, catalysis, and nanomedicine.

Top (left to right): Louis Haber and Daniel Kuroda; bottom (left to right): Revati Kumar and Kenneth Lopata

"My research group works on making new types of nanoparticles and then we study their properties using our ultrafast laser experiments.

We can tune our lasers to be any color spanning the visible, infrared, or ultraviolet wavelengths so that we can study very specific light-matter interactions. Having ultrafast laser pulses is like having a camera with a very fast shutter speed, so that you can capture processes such as molecule motions, chemical reactions, and electronic excitations on their natural timescales," said Haber.

making solar cells that can be used to power things; or to cause bonds in changing chemicals by shining light triggering a reaction that could result in new useful materials,” said Lopata, who has been working with Haber and the other new physical chemistry faculty since he came to LSU in August 2013.

Lopata received a bachelor’s of physical chemistry from the University of Toronto, and a PhD in physical chemistry from UCLA. Prior to working at LSU, Lopata was a postdoc at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. While there, he worked on computer simulations developing new code to run on supercomputers.

"I'm very happy to be working at LSU. There's a fantastic community here and a lot of people are doing excellent science."

Lopata was impressed by LSU’s supercomputing capabilities and the fascinating work taking place in the Center for Computation & Technology, or CCT.

Lopata’s work strikes a similar cord in that he also wants to study materials too small to be seen by the naked eye, but this computational chemist uses virtual experiments to uncover the fundamental mechanisms underlying femtosecond excited state dynamics in molecules and materials.

“I love it here,” said Lopata. “The environment is great, the people are really nice, and LSU has a made a pretty big name for itself in supercomputing.”

“What I do is very much on the frontier of what is happening in physical chemistry,” said Lopata. “I am interested in the ultra fast response of molecules to light and how it can be used to capture light.

This process can be used in harvesting photovoltaics, to change chemical bonds, and to probe what is happening at a molecular level.”

This research is important on a number of levels. “Think of light as having two different uses—as a source of energy, capturing it and

Lopata’s colleague Daniel Kuroda was also attracted to the Louisiana environment, particularly its tropical weather.

“I really like the weather in the south and LSU is a good university, so I could not say no when I was offered an opportunity to work here,” said Kuroda, a native Argentinian and experimental physical chemist.

Kuroda made for a likely colleague in that his work also involves the use of ultrafast lasers. While pursuing his PhD at the University of Florida, LSU College of Science NEWS | 19

time scale so that they can be measured and studied in detail.

Although we do not get a microscopic picture of all of the atoms’ positions, using this spectroscopy you can measure the molecular motions as it happens, say one trillionth of a second or one picosecond. If we use the computational method, we can get the full picture of the molecular process. This is when the experimental and computational methods work together to form a more complete picture.”

Kumar’s research directly complements’ Kuroda’s in that she provides the computational resources that undergird his work.

Kumar is a materials chemist that employs computational tools to develop new materials.

his research focused on studying how to control the photo-induced energy transfer process with tailored ultrafast laser pulses. He later moved to the Ultrafast Optical Processes Laboratory at University of Pennsylvania where he conducted his postdoctoral studies.

“What I want to do is understand the molecular interactions of matter in liquids. Why is this important? We are 60 percent water depending on your weight and we have proteins in our bodies that are very important for transporting different molecules, such as oxygen. These proteins in our system must have a specific structure for doing their job properly. Water, through its different interaction, plays a significant role in this process because it makes the proteins adopt the correct structure.

These molecular interactions are the very important things that I want to characterize,” said Kuroda.

His research involves techniques that are not commercially available.

The use of lasers or multidimensional ultrafast spectroscopy for investigating structure is a fairly new practice, no more than 10 to 15 years old, but is slowly becoming more mainstream.

“These tools are very expensive, but gives you continuous knowledge by applying these technologies,” said Kuroda.

“There have been some major developments using this technology.

These techniques allow me to examine the molecules at a much faster 20 | The PURSUIT

“At the experimental level you really cannot see everything that is happening at the molecular level, but it gives you an idea.

Experiments and observation allows you to see a spectrum of something, but how do you know what that something is?" asked Kuroda.

“The idea is to use computational tools to develop novel materials and understand what happens in catalysis. You use experiment and theory together to understand what is going on at the molecular level and even at the nanoscopic level to give you a fundamental understanding of the process.

Kuroda and I are great collaborators. He does experiments and I develop the theories, which is similar to Haber and Lopata’s relationship where Lopata understands the quantum mechanics of solids and Haber works with the interesting solid interfaces.”

As theoretical chemistry plays an increasingly important role in the design and application of new materials, computer simulations act as virtual experiments where scientists can study complex systems at the molecular levels. These studies give valuable insight into reaction mechanisms and allow scientists to inexpensively screen candidates for new materials with the desired properties.

“To make the LSU Chemistry Department a world-class department, you must have a strong physical chemistry division including a computational focus. Physical chemistry complements the other parts of chemistry because it addresses the physical processes and reactions and it is also the interdisciplinary region that connects physics and chemistry,” said Kumar.

Top (left to right): Kenneth Lopata, Louis Haber working in his lab with a graduate researcher, Daniel Kuroda, and Revati Kumar

Mathematics

Math Department Hosts Series of International Conferences and Workshops The LSU Department of Mathematics brought mathematicians of all ages and from all over the globe to LSU as they served as the host site for several conferences, workshops, and a state math competition.

The Scientific Computing Around Louisiana Workshop, or SCALA, was held February 21 – 22, in the LSU Digital Media Center. The event, organized by Susanne Brenner, LSU’s Michael F. and Roberta Nesbit McDonald Professor of Mathematics, and Lisa Fauci, Pendergraft Nola Lee Haynes Professor of Mathematics at Tulane University, showcased some of the most recent innovations in scientific computing.

Scientific computing uses computers to examine and solve scientific problems though the analysis of mathematical models. The workshop highlighted the exciting research underway at Louisiana colleges and universities helping to foster collaborations across the state.

Speakers included Pavel Bochev, computational mathematician at Sandia National Laboratory; Yi Jiang, assistant professor of mathematics and statistics at Georgia State University; and Tim Warburton, associate professor in the Department of Computational and Applied Mathematics at Rice University.

George Cochran, LSU associate professor of mathematics, coordinated the Louisiana-Mississippi Section of the Mathematical Association of America, or MAA, annual meeting, March 6 – 8.

The meeting included talks by MAA president elect Francis Su of Harvey Mudd College, Combinatorial Fixed Point Theorems; Jesus De Loera of the University of California-Davis, A 100 Years of Helly’s Thoerem: A Crown Jewel of Combinatorial Geometry; and John Travis of Mississippi College, The Beauty of Mathematics. The meeting also included an Integration Bee, a spelling bee of sorts for mathematicians, and a student paper competition.

A TIME to Confer Abel Prize winner Jean-Pierre Serre (bottom center) photographed with LSU faculty and graduate students, after his colloquium, which served as the kick off for the Applications of Automorphic Forms in Number Theory and Combinatorics Conference hosted by the LSU Mathematics Department.

More than 120 international mathematicians and researchers converged on the LSU campus for the Applications of Automorphic Forms in Number Theory and Combinatronics Conference, April 12-15. This year’s conference was held in honor of Wen-Ching Winnie Li, Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at Pennsylvania State University, for her outstanding contributions to number theory, automorphic forms, and applications.

Over 200 high school mathletes from throughout the state tested their mathematical mettle during the thirteenth LSU High School Mathematics Contest. The event included individual and team competitions. Students competed in algebra, geometry, and precalculus.

Plenary speakers included Abel prize winner Jean-Pierre Serre from the Collège de France, six members of the National Academy of Science, one Fields Medalist, and three Wolf Prize winners. Conference participants included top math experts and graduate students from the U.S., Canada, France, China, and Ireland. The goal of the conference was to foster advancement in research programs for the participants, provide opportunities to disseminate current work by experts, and offer professional development for junior researchers and graduate students.

Students from Vestavia Hills High School swept the Open Session.

Jin Lu took first place honors followed by Tailin Pan in second place and Charles Li in third place. Vestavia Hills students continued their winning streak placing first, second, and third in the Algebra/Geometry Session and the Algebra I/Geometry Session. In the team competition, Vestavia Hills High School-Team 3 took home the gold winning first place, with Metairie Park Country Day School-Team 1 taking the silver and Bolton High School-Team 1 winning the bronze.

LSU College of Science NEWS | 21

geology & geophysics

Peering below the

surface LSU Geologist Examines Crustal Deformation in Yellowstone

Geoscientists’ work can take them anywhere from the depths of the South China Sea to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains or even Yellowstone National Park, one of the most geologically dynamic areas on the planet.

Yellowstone is fertile research ground for many of the nation’s earth scientists including Karen Luttrell, assistant professor of Geology & Geophysics at LSU. Prior to joining LSU, Luttrell spent two years as a US Geological Survey postdoctoral fellow studying the subsurface magma in Yellowstone.

“Most of my research focuses on crustal deformation and how we apply our observations about that to earthquake and volcanic activity,” said Luttrell, who was attracted to the geoscience discipline because she loved using math to describe the way the world works.

“As a physicist, I like using the laws of physics and applying them to understand the natural world. I get to describe the way our planet works. There are all types of interactions going on in the oceans, the atmospheres, the surface and below.”

Yellowstone is famous for having one of the world’s largest volcanic eruptions, which left behind one of the largest known calderas, a bowlshaped depression resulting after an erupting volcano empties a shallowmagma chamber.

“Yellowstone last erupted about 70,000 years ago and is capable of super eruptions,” said Luttrell adding that some upscale eruptions have resulted in ash all over the country.

Several years ago, Luttrell, along with colleagues from UNAVCO, a non-profit, university-governed geoscience research consortium, 22 | The PURSUIT

detected an odd rhythmic signal near Yellowstone Lake. This strain signal emanated from an intermittent seiche about an inch or two tall.

A seiche is a standing wave in an enclosed or partially enclosed body of water usually caused by wind, atmospheric pressure variations, or seismic activity.

Luttrell and her colleagues noted that multiple waves were present, but most surprising was that the signals of these waves could be recognized up to 19 miles away from the lake at a distant strainmeter, an instrument used by geophysicists to measure the deformation of the Earth. The far-field strain induced by the load of the seiche waves calculated with a model representing the upper crust is more than an order of magnitude smaller than the measured strain amplitude ~30 km from the lake shore if the presence of magma is not accounted for. These observations provided evidence for the presence of partially molten material in the upper crust.

The research team published an article in the February 2013 edition of Geophysical Research Letters revealing how the magma beneath the ground at Yellowstone allows the seiche signal to travel further than it would in the Earth’s crust under normal conditions. The authors estimate that magma is present starting at two to four miles beneath the ground surface and is mostly crystallized, but partly molten. These findings are consistent with results from other studies. The researchers continue to monitor the volcano in Yellowstone for any indications of instability.

“My goal is to develop new techniques to add to our existing tools for volcanic monitoring. If we understand how it all works and know the signals that we expect to receive, when those signals are different, we know that something is changing. Then we investigate why the changes are occurring and the potential impact of these changes,” said Luttrell.

physics & astronomy

Physics Students Explore Space Missions Operations through the ACES Project The LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy is offering students practical experience in the aerospace science and engineering industry through the Aerospace Catalysts Experiences for Students, or ACES program.

Led by LSU Physics & Astronomy Professor Gregory Guzik, ACES students are taught how to design, build, fly, and analyze data returned from small payloads that are carried approximately 100,000 feet by a helium-filled latex sounding balloon.

“The program is designed to provide students with a real world hands-on experience in developing a space flight payload,” said Guzik.

The project is an extracurricular activity conducted over the course of a year.

Students complete specific tasks each semester with special emphasis placed on communication and project management skills.

“The first semester involves preparing the students with basic skills regarding electronics, real time programming, mechanical design development, and project management,” said Guzik.

“During the second semester, they have to go through what are called preliminary design reviews, critical design review, and a flight readiness review.”

Throughout the course of the project, students compile a plethora of documents to be submitted to the management of the program for review. These documents are generally 60 to 100 pages in length. Students also have to prepare an oral defense regarding the status of their progress.

Reaching

new heights The final semester involves the students utilizing the tools they learned in the previous semester to build their own payloads.

“It’s always a joy to work with the students,” said Guzik. “It’s very rewarding to see students grow over the year into people who have a much better grasp on how to confront life’s real problems.”

Following commencement, the students attend flight operations, where the various university teams launch their payloads from the NASA Columbia National Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine, Texas.

“Writing reports are very extensive and encompass a lot of information,” said Joshua Collins, a sophomore and member of an ACES seven-man crew. “We have to write three major reports to submit to the La ACES manager.”

ACES began ten years ago through the Louisiana Space Consortium, the local space grant agency. The project is managed

by NASA’s National Space Grant College and Fellowship program, which Congress established in 1987. Each state has a jurisdiction that hosts their own respective space grant consortium. The program provides graduate student fellowships, and funding for faculty and undergraduate research.

Each crew varies in size with a minimum of three members. The program is statewide and includes students from Louisiana Tech and Xavier University amongst other institutions.

The Louisiana consortium includes 18 universities, a number of museums and science centers, government agencies, industry partners, and other entities, according to Guzik.

“I joined the project for the experience,” said Brian Stutzman, a senior. “I have a lot of fun doing it.”

LSU College of Science NEWS | 23

Museum of natural science

FOr the

Birds

Tigrisomas Prepare for LSU BIG Day Peru LSU's award winning birding team, the Tigrisomas, is preparing to break the world Big Day record by identifying more than 331 bird species in 24 hours.

Whether you are a recreational backyard birder or seasoned ornithologist, most enjoy the idea of a friendly competition. Some of you may be envisioning a scene from 2011's The Big Year with bird enthusiasts peering through binoculars releasing unusual birding calls and doing just about anything to be the first to spot unique fowl. LSU's Big Day may not be as comical as its theatrical counterpart, but it is just as competitive. Close to home in Louisiana, the Tigrisomas set the current Louisiana state Big Day record of 222 species and in 2012 and 2013, the Tigrisomas took top honors in the international Birding Rally Challenge in Peru.

Yet, a bigger challenge awaits.

In October, the Tigrisomas, made up of ornithologists from the LSU Museum of Natural Science and a Peruvian colleague, hope to continue LSU's winning track record by attempting to break

24 | The PURSUIT

the world Big Day record set in 1982 by LSU ornithologist Ted Parker and Princeton graduate student Scott Robinson. Their record, an amazing 331 species, was tallied at a single site, Cocha Cashu Biological Station in Manu National Park in Peru. The Tigrisomas not only want to break this record, but use the event to raise awareness and funding for the discovery based research on biological diversity in the threatened habitats of the Andes Mountains and Amazon Basin.

The route for the LSU Big Day Peru will encompass the Andes Mountains of Peru to the lowland forest in the Amazon Rainforest.

To support LSU Big Day Peru make a gift online by visiting lsubigday.org and select Big Day Research Support Fund.

All proceeds collected will support research by ornithologists seeking knowledge and protection for birds that are not widely known.

alumni & development

Neil and Arlene Kestner Name Scholarship In Recognition of Dr. Elizabeth Schweigerdt Dr. Elizabeth Schweigerdt was a seasoned internist with more than 40 years of experience. She was often referred to as “the physician’s physician,” because she was the doctor that other doctors sent their patients to for a second diagnosis.

Elizabeth received her undergraduate degree from Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois in 1967 and went on to the University of Illinois to earn her MD. Following her residency, she interned at Swedish Hospital in Seattle, Washington and settled there.

“She was the go-to person in Seattle, Washington,” said Dr. Arlene Kestner, Elizabeth’s sister and a member of the LSU College of Science Dean’s Circle.

giving in honor of those we love Arlene and Neil Kestner, LSU College of Science Dean's Circle members

“We called her doc in a box,” said Arlene, as she recounted an instance where her sister provided some life saving advice.

About ten years ago, Arlene’s husband and LSU Professor Emeritus of Chemistry, Neil Kestner, returned from a trip to Israel where he noted some tenderness in his legs. He went to the emergency room, but the doctors did not see anything alarming.

“We described the symptoms to Elizabeth over the phone and she diagnosed him with deep venous thrombosis,” said Arlene.

"Neil went to his personal internist and after an ultrasound was referred to the hospital immediately because a clot in his leg had migrated to his lung. She saved his life.”

When Elizabeth passed, she left a legacy of mentorship. She advised and guided a significant number of young residents during her time at Swedish Hospital, which spanned from 1971 to 2005.

“She was a phenomenal physician,” said Arlene. “Until her retirement, she was the oldest female physician in Seattle.”

In 2012, the Kestners established the Elizabeth L. Schweigerdt, MD Memorial Student Award to honor Elizabeth and help other up-and-coming female physicians. The award targets female premed undergraduates enrolled full time in the LSU College of Science.

“We realize that in this day and age, if you are applying to medical school, you have application fees and MCAT fees. The purpose of this award is to support any activities that the young women would need to push that application forward. The funds can even be used to support thesis research,” said Arlene.

As the endowment grows, the Kestners would like to award two scholarships, one to a junior and another to a senior.

“It provides a really special need for exceptional students in the College of Science,” said Arlene. “It also supports the college’s mission and vision and creates a legacy for my family.”

LSU College of Science | 25

A WhOle

new world By trelane dunn

Boot Camp Student Shares Experiences as a First-year Freshmen

I did not know wh at to expect from college since it wa I was hoping that s a new chapter I would be prepar of my life. ed for the next four about the College rigorous years. I of Science Boot heard Camp through th to find some type eir website beca of summer progra us e I wanted m to do before st boot camp seem arting college, an ed interesting. Th d the ough it was origi excited to know nally difficult to pa that I received a y fo r, I was sc ho larship to help pa the scholarship, y for the cost. W I would not have ith out been able to enga educational expe ge in such a wond rience that starte er fu have received wh l d my path to succ at I needed to pe ess in college, an rform well in my d I may not first semester of college.

I was a chemistry major, so I particip ated in the 2013 a taste of what Ge Chemis bootcam neral Chemistry p. This program wo uld be like during gave me homework assig my first semeste nments and even r. I experienced lec ex am s.

I pe tures, rfo the boot camp wa rmed well overall s definitely the wa , but could have do ke ne -u p be call that I needed tter. I think slacking on my wo . I was not in hig rk was not an op h school anymor tion. e, so There were also fun moments du ring the program There were hand . The most influe s-on experiences ntial were in the like using liquid nit chemistry labs. bubbles, and mak rogen to freeze ob ing homemade ice jects, creating fla cream with Dr. Lin mes with gas da Allen.

After just one we ek of boot camp, I was already fam relief knowing th iliar with most of at I would not ha the campus. It de ve to struggle fin finitely was a ding classes on the first few days of school.

Overall, my first semester of colle ge was pretty su possible without cc essful. That succ my Chemis instru ess would not ha ctor Dr. John Ho ve been did an excellent pk ins. During the lec job helping me an tures and group d m y cla work, he ss mates understand introductory chem some of the hard istry. If I received er an co yt nc hin epts of g from his lecture practice to unde s, it was to practic rstand the mater e, practice, and ial. The boot cam 101% in his Chem p experience defin 1201 course. itely paid off when I made a If there are future Tigers interested in being science science boot cam majors, I would en p. It was an amaz courage them to ing experience fo do the exposed to valua r me as I was prep ble learning strate ared for college-le gies, and made ne vel work, college within th w friends. I litera at one week of bo lly made my trans ot camp. ition to For the next year, I hope to continu e pursuing a degr plan to start cond ee in biochemist ucting research in ry and a minor in a medical related French. I also college life with ex field. Most of all, ceptional academ I aspire to have a ic pe rfo balanced rm serve my commun ance, opportunit ies to show my lea ity. dership skills an d I am grateful to th e College of Scien ce for helping m and I could not be e to be a growing any happier for th , successful colle e experience. ge student,

- Trelane Dunn

alumni & development

T'UXPA: Working and building together Geology Alum Helps Establish Foundation in Rural Colombian Community Dr. Caroline Whitehill, geology graduate, class of 1994, in the Cocora Valley located in the Central Cordillera of the Most of us have something that we are intrinsically Andean Mountains of Colombia passionate about, but not often do we take the risk of following that passion, especially if it involves science. However, what really captivated her was the introduction to leaving what we know, transcending our comfort zone, and exploring the concept of Deep Time- the slow and complex chemical, physical the unexplored. One LSU graduate has decided to do just that. and biological processes that continue to shape the Earth as they have Geology alumna Caroline "Carrie" Whitehill is using her education for nearly 5 billion years. and ability to work in an impoverished Colombian community as an educator and exploration geologist.

“It all takes an enormous amount of time,” said Whitehill. “The study of physical geology is all about understanding the origins of rocks "It is an exciting time to work and live in Colombia as it forges a path and what they tell us about geological and atmospheric processes, as toward sustainable growth in a thriving economy," said Whitehill. well as about life activity at different times in the Earth's history. The introductory courses also include topics on socially conscious concerns An accomplished structural geologist, Whitehill has spent a number including geohazards like volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, of years solving scientific problems in South America. Oddly enough, which are formed through really slow processes that move giant rigid geology was not her top choice when she enrolled at LSU. She tectonics plates around the planet. I am very passionate about this idea initially declared journalism as her major, but switched after taking of time, the geological process and human involvement, in addition Roy Dokka’s physical geology class. She said she only enrolled in the to how we identify and respond to hazards, and manage the Earth´s course because her best friend was taking it, but she was impressed material resources. It really puts things in perspective for me. The

by Dokka’s passion for the content and the high precision GPS bigger time gets to me, the less significant my time on the planet feels. technology used to study active faulting and crustal deformation in Oddly, this concept is comforting, invigorating even, but not devoid the Mojave Desert. of responsibility.”

“It was Roy’s enthusiasm and ability to engage students that inspired me to take another class and another…,” said Whitehill. “I mean, his class was really great, so important, in fact, I think that both Physical and Historical Geology should be a prerequisite for any student in the College of Science."

Whitehill appreciated that geology is a science that you can see and touch. It explained so many interconnected processes and fields of

While at LSU, Whitehill also enjoyed the community of fellow students at The Chimes where she waited tables to support herself through school. She earned a bachelor’s of science from LSU in 1994 where she majored in geology and geophysics and minored in archaeology. She later went on to complete a master’s of science degree at Vanderbilt University in 1999 where she studied geoarchaeology, geomorphology and soil sciences all while working on projects in Cyprus, Bulgaria, Kyrgyzstan, and Scotland. In 2009, she earned LSU College of Science | 27

alumni & development her doctoral degree from Stanford University for her research on the tectonic evolution of the northwestern Basin and Range Province.

Prior to graduate school, Whitehill worked as a research assistant at Central Washington University, or CWU, where she helped M. Meghan Miller manage ongoing GPS projects in the Mojave Desert.

Her work at CWU also allowed her to continue her collaboration with Dokka.

Whitehill has worked as a consulting geologist since 1996, specializing in oil-gas exploration, geothermal exploration, reservoir modeling and fracture studies, geohazards, and geoarchaeology.

After receiving her PhD, she received a postdoctoral fellowship from the Institute for Geophysics at the University of Texas at Austin.

In addition to her consulting work, she taught introductory and advanced classes at CWU and Green River Community College.

Currently, she is an adjunct faculty member at CWU and the University of Caldas in Manizales, Caldas, Colombia.

In 2011, Whitehill submitted a proposal to the Fulbright Scholars program requesting sponsorship for four months as a research and teaching fellow with the “Geohazards and Geoscience Education” project at Universidad de Caldas in Manizales, Colombia.

“The Fulbright process happens two ways, either you apply for a set of opportunities or you create your opportunity. In my case, I created my own," said Whitehill.

She spent the latter portion of 2012 as a Fulbright scholar teaching geohazards courses. Whitehill has always been a proponent of progressive education, which emphasizes learning by doing, and thought that this type of pedagogy would best serve her students, many of whom did not speak English. As her Fulbright experience came to a close, she returned to her position as senior geologist with Golder Associates. In this position she was able to continue her work in Colombia, but something had changed.

Whitehill worked with a number of projects in Colombia as part of her postdoctoral research, but it was her work co-organizing the Geological Society of America Penrose Conference that exposed her to a small rural community whose eclectic culture reminded her of her native New Orleans. One of the conference activities included a tour of Salento, a small community of approximately 7,000 located northeast of Quindío. It was this community that fueled her passion to educate and help those in need, and help was not to be supplied as a community leader, but as an active participant in a group made up of a diversity of residents working together for a common goal.

“When I decided to quit my job and move to Colombia, I talked to my supervisors at Golder Associates, who supported me during my months with Fulbright and supported me even in my leaving. My

28 | The PURSUIT

Top left: Caroline Whitehill photographed with members of TÚXPA; bottom left: former local "Speak Easy" has been transformed into a café, hostal, and home base for the T'UPA team; and far right: members of the T'UXPA team

alumni & development direct supervisor said, ‘You’re young enough to take the risk and old enough to succeed.’ For me, all of my professional experiences, my training at LSU, and my life experiences prepared me for what I am doing now. Besides, I have never had the traditional experience,” said Whitehill.

“Not everybody is wired for the traditional route. I was leaving a job with nice pay, excellent benefits and a superb team of colleagues, but I decided to do what I love and hoping that the money (stability) would follow. This is what my parents have always taught me.”

Whitehill knew that it was time to relocate so that she could further her work in education and research, and expand her knowledge and experience base in geothermal exploration. She accepted a consulting position as senior geologist and director of Latin American business development for Dewhurst Group, a geothermal exploration company working on an exploratory project at Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Caldas, Colombia. After great success with the Nevado del Ruiz project, she resigned from her position at Dewhurst Group to fully focus her efforts on Salento.

Now, a new resident of the burgeoning tourist locale, Whitehill and a team of highly motivated Salento locals have formed Fundacion TÚXPA, a progressive education based Foundation to help grow and educate the community of Salento.

The town is Colombia’s second most touristed city, after Cartagena.

However, in contrast to Cartagena, Salento is a favorite spot for locals and the country's growing stream of tourists. Its beautiful scenery, traditional bahareque architecture, and local shops make it a popular stop, and the town serves as the starting point for tourists traveling to the Cocora valley and hiking in the Los Navados National Natural Park.

The foundation’s science and technology arm focuses on bringing new scientific technology to the small town, to the State of Quindio, and eventually throughout Colombia. To do this, Whitehill drew upon her experience at Stanford where she spent two years working with Rupert Douglas, a British humanitarian aid worker who worked in relief operations in Kosovo, Sudan, and Ethiopia; Hank Jones, then a Stanford aeronautical engineering graduate student; and Kevin Gill who specialized in innovative communications designs for Stanford´s Office of Student Services.

Together they developed a prototype for a handheld device that would allow humanitarian workers in the field to better communicate and to collect and send data in real time no matter where they were located.

Through this work, Whitehill and her colleagues formed Global Map Aid, a non-governmental organization, or NGO, based in England, and LumiMap, an NGO at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Ironically, the first formal application of this technology was during Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

Whitehill believes this technology would be beneficial to Salento's residents. The town is located in an area vulnerable to large earthquakes, volcanic hazards, landslides, and floods, and there are only two viable evacuation routes, both of which cross significant rivers.

“Easily, 100,000 people can come through the town during peak tourist activities like its annual Christmas and Easter festivals. The city is quite vulnerable,” said Whitehill. "One of the world´s most dangerous volcanoes is only 25 kilometers away."

The original idea for the foundation was a progressive education, project-based operation that used the term “TÚXPA” as its core value. The indigenous, Quechua, term refers to a group of people working and building a community together. The foundation took a multi-focus approach providing services in the areas of science and technology, education, the arts and culture, and agricultural and environmental issues.

"I acquired a 120-year old home and bar-cafe called, 'The Speakeasy' that was falling into a serious state of disrepair. Through the help of the TÚXPA founders and many others in the community, we have transformed it into my home, a café, hostal and home base for the TÚXPA team, as well as a community center and resource. Profits from the café are, in part, used to fund foundation projects," said Whitehill.

LSU College of Science | 29

alumni & development Whitehill is also working to build bridges between Salento’s flourishing arts and music community and those in New Orleans and other communities throughout the U.S. Café Salento Orléans is the central locale for TÚXPA’s arts component serving as a place for local artisans to sell their pieces and space for live performances, readings, and exhibits. The hostal, Casa Sol y Luna, also helps to provide a stream of income as well as inexpensive and reliable housing for traveling-visiting scientists, writers, artists, musicians, educators, environmental planners, farmers, and any who work to support TÚXPA projects.

“The goal of the cafe is for people to come, feel included, and have a space to talk and express different views and ideas,” said Whitehill. She also added a bit of Louisiana to the café’s menu.

“I have introduced them to po-boys, jambalaya, and gumbo, but they already eat red beans and rice, they just exclude the spicy sausage which, of course only helps me feel even more at home.”

Colombia’s coffee export provides a solid basis for TÚXPA’s environmental focus.

“Some local coffee growers are using dangerous methodologies to harvest coffee, but they have been doing things this way a long time,” said Whitehill. “This project is environmental, yet agricultural and technological in nature. We are linking Salento’s coffee growers to others in the industry to share best practices. There is a lot of consciousness about this and we want that consciousness to move down the generations to promote methods that will keep the land fertile and stable for the next generation. The general education and interest for these kinds of efforts is remarkably strong. It´s the funding and teaching resources which have been lacking. Engaging the community in project based education seems to me to be a great solution to both resource needs.”

TÚXPA also aims to use education to address some of the social issues within the community such as teen pregnancy and the increasing drop out rates. The foundation is currently working with a volunteer nurse from Madrid, Eva Vicenti, who has been living in Salento since October. She has developed an excellent, interactive sexual health and awareness workshop for kids age 9 to 12 and their parents.

The workshops educate the children and parents about biological and medical concerns, and also integrates games based on probability and statistics. The workshops also provide a safe place for kids and parents to speak openly or privately about any concerns.

TÚXPA is actively seeking funds to help sustain and grow these projects and Vicenti is designing the format and means of passing this opportunity on to other visiting medical professionals as they travel through Quindio.

Currently, the foundation has proposals for programs to be provided through TÚXPA´s affiliation with Fundacion Palmitas Unidas also located in Salento. The winter break in Colombia is similar to the summer vacation for U.S. students. The foundation plans to provide a fun and educational alternative to children who would normally be home alone while their parents are working. The programs will focus on closing the learning gaps, encouraging students to stay in school and providing sexual education and awareness programs to help derail the growing number of teen pregnancies.

Other TÚXPA projects entail meal programs for children and elderly, home restoration projects, sustainable agriculture and other programs needed to promote a self-sustaining community.

“We can teach the basic sustainable agriculture processes or sustainable animal husbandry, but we are not using lectures and powerpoints, we are going to help build farms. It all goes back to TÚXPA. We want the community to feel included because when they feel included, they feel valuable. Our goal is to help them sustain and grow in a culture that is changing,” said Whitehill In three years she envisions a well-supported foundation with an administrative staff, grant writers, and connections to foundations, universities and companies throughout the U.S. “I feel very fortunate and grateful for this experience. The people have been very warm to me,” said Whitehill.

“Americans have lots of misconceptions about Colombians and likewise Colombians have their misgivings about Americans, but we live in a global economy. We just can’t avoid each other.

TÚXPA gives us an opportunity to make the most of the things we have in common. I want this project to leave the people of Salento feeling connected to themselves, to the community, and to progressive education.”

Left: Local musicians performing in Salento

alumni & development

Young alums investing in the

next generation It is the people- our students, faculty, and alumni- that make the LSU College of Science special. The generosity of our people has been an integral part of our Formula For Excellence, the strategic plan which has helped the college implement new programs, and support our students and faculty in meaningful and impactful ways. As we look toward the future of the college, the support of our alumni will become increasingly important.

Engaging our young alumni, those with the closest connection to the student experience, to each other, and to LSU, is a new area of focus in the college. To do so, we have expanded the group for our most supportive alumni and friends, the Dean’s Circle, by creating a unique opportunity to join exclusively for our most recent graduates. For an annual gift of $250, the LSU College of Science is opening dean’s Circle membership to alumni who have graduated in the last ten years.

Until now, membership in the Dean’s Circle, or DC, was only available to alumni and friends who gave $1,000 each year to the Science Development fund, but the college recognizes the importance of engaging its youngest graduates, those who graduated between 2004 and 2014, and whose support and perspective is extremely valuable to the growth of the college.

researchers. DC gifts also support a variety of initiatives that are essential to providing a world-class educational experience, many of which are not funded by state resources.

Besides, membership has its privileges. DC members are invited to dine with the dean and other alumni and friends during our annual Dean’s Circle dinner in the fall. Members are also invited to our spring Hall of Distinction banquet, which honors alumni and friends of the college who have made a significant impact in their field and community. These events are great opportunities to network with other college alumni and science professionals.

Members also enjoy special communications and updates from the dean.

DC participation not only provides support for the next generation of science and math students, but also keeps alumni connected to their Alma Mater. To join the DC, make your donation online by visiting lsufoundation.org/givetoscience or you may mail a check payable to “LSU Foundation” and specify “College of Science Dean’s Circle“ in the memo section to: LSU Foundation 3838 West Lakeshore Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70808

A gift of $250 helps us to provide scholarships for incoming freshmen and travel funds and support to student and faculty LSU College of Science | 31

alumni & development

A decade of

Distinction College Honors 2014 Hall of Distinction Inductees The LSU College of Science celebrated the achievements of five exceptional individuals during its 10th annual Hall of Distinction ceremony, March 28. This year’s honorees were Keith Comeaux, Lodwrick Cook, Henry Goodrich, Arlo Landolt, and Marion “Soc” Socolofsky.

Comeaux, a Baton Rouge native, graduated from LSU with bachelors degrees in mechanical engineering and physics. On August 5, 2012, Comeaux served as team chief and flight director of the launch, eightmonth flight, and landing of NASA’s Curiosity Rover on “the Red Planet.”

Cook, an LSU mathematics and petroleum engineering alumnus has been a key player in the petroleum industry for more than 50 years.

He began his career at the Atlantic Richfield Company where he was named president and chief operating officer in 1985. Cook donated the initial funds to construct the Lod Cook Alumni Center and the Lod and Carole Cook Conference Center and Hotel at LSU. Goodrich, founder and chairman emeritus of the Goodrich Oil Company, was a 1951 LSU geology graduate. In 1995, the company was incorporated under Goodrich Petroleum Corporation in a corporate merger and went public at that time on the New York Stock Exchange. Goodrich’s oil and gas career spanned more that 50 years.

32 | The PURSUIT

Landolt graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in 1955 as a double major in mathematics and physics, and later received a doctoral degree in astronomy from Indiana University in 1963. While pursuing his PhD, Landolt became a member of the first group to winter over at the International Geophysical Year's Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in the Antarctic. He joined the faculty of the LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy in 1962 and was instrumental in the development of the astronomy group. Landolt was named LSU Ball Family Professor of Physics & Astronomy in 2002 and has had a number of sites named in his honor, including Mt. Landolt in the Antarctic, and the LSU Landolt Astronomical Observatory in Nicholson Hall.

Socolofsky, or “Soc,” was responsible for acquiring the first electron microscope for LSU in the early 1960’s. His influence established the electron microscopy facility on campus. He also played a major role in developing the proposal to fund construction of the LSU Life Sciences Building. In his career, he taught introductory biology to over 12,700 students.

The College of Science Hall of Distinction (HOD) was established in 2004 to celebrate individuals who have made significant contributions to science, business, academia, or government, as well as to their community. HOD nominations are due November 1.

Photo: College of Science Hall of Distinction inductees Lod Cook, Arlo Landolt, Keith Comeaux, and Esther Socolofsky, representing her husband, the late Marion "Soc" Socolofsky

alumni & development

Make giving a

Priority

For more than two centuries, the LSU College of Science has upheld a standard of academic and research achievement. Our students make up nearly half of the top graduates at LSU. For example, more than 30 percent of our spring graduating class finished with Latin Honors.

Twenty-five percent of the class are preparing to enter medical or dental school while others will pursue master's and doctoral degrees at other prestigious institutions across the country, or enter the professional workforce. Our students are among the top in the nation and as you can see, we have the evidence to prove it.

Gifts to the College of Science directly impacts the quality of education these top scholars receive. One measure of a great university is the support it receives from its graduates. Public universities, like LSU, can no longer rely solely on state dollars to fund all of its educational pursuits. Your gifts provide the working capital needed to support our students and the faculty and staff who are committed to their success.

I encourage you to make the LSU College of Science one of your philanthropic priorities. Our giving priorities for 2014-15 are: •

Dean's Circle Membership | The Dean's Circle (DC) is a loyal group of alumni and friends who share a passion for advancing scientific scholarship and research at LSU. 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 or more, graduates between 2004-14 are also eligible for DC membership.

•

Science Boot Camps | Incoming biological sciences majors and other freshmen whose majors require them to take Biology 1201 (Biology for Science Majors) can participate in BIOS, a one-week intensive precollege boot camp program to help science majors prepare for college-level coursework at LSU.

•

Science Honors Scholarships | The Science Honors Scholarship is a competitive award given to select incoming freshmen. Top students compete each year for the scholarship, which is funded through the generosity of private donors.

•

Science Residential College | The Science Residential College provides an on-campus living and learning experience tailor made to give science majors an enriching educational experience.

To give to the College of Science Development Fund, go to lsu.foundation.org/givetoscience.

LSU College of Science | 33

Thank

you

Individuals $250,000 and above

Clarence & Ann Cazalot Frank & Ann Harrison $100,000 to $249,999 James & Linda Painter $25,000 to $99,999 A. K. & Shirley Barton Christian & Anne Boussert Karen S. Egedy Keith & Pamela Jordan Neil & Arlene Kestner Thomas D. Shockley Jr. Armour C. Winslow $10,000 to $24,999 Mary Lou Applewhite Scott & Susan Brodie David J. Clark Hardy & Jeanette Coon Ronnie Johnson & Candace Hays Fred & Misty Meendsen Ron & Mary Neal Lance & Maggie Olinde Ward & Betty Plummer Arthur & Julia Saller $2,500 to $9,999 George Belchic Jr. Charles & Mary Belleau Allen & Susan Berlin Patricia Hewlett Bodin Stephen & Catherine Brown Shannon M. Ferguson Charles & Arleen Goldberg Gary S. Grest Lane & Bobbi Grigsby Reinosuke & Kuni Hara Thorndike & Sue Howe Dana & Barbara Hutchison Stephen & Karen Katz Jim & Neilanne Lange Terry & Cheryl Latiolais Rowdy & Donna Lemoine Betsey Mellor Sally M. Murray Stuart & Kim Oden James & Judith Oxley

34 | The PURSUIT

Edward Picou & Dan Armstrong Erik & Angela Scott Charles M. Smith Troy & Karen Sullivan Tom & Judy Taylor Mel & Diane Triay III Mike & Lea Ann van den Bold Harold M. Voss Winnie K. Wong-Ng Barbara Lowery-Yilmaz & Recep Yilmaz $1,000 to $2,499 Halvor & Peggy Aaslestad Stephen & Janet Abernathy Bruce A. Adams Jr. Ronnie & Denise Alvarez Corine K. Armstrong Larry & Alice Arthur Frank & Dianne Auer Byron & Gladys Ayme Byrd & Alice Ball Jeremy Bariola & Ellen Lu Charles & Mary BarrĂŠ Peggy A. Battalora Charles & Jo Black Elias Bou-Waked & Sybil Callaway Brad & Julie Broussard Robert & Linda Brousse Jon & Jonell Brubaker Robb & Tiffanie Brumfield Peter & Alice Burland Sabra M. Caldwell Roberta G. Carlisle Elwyn & Ollie Cavin Michael & Julie Cherry Purnell & Joan Choppin Carlo & Beverly Christina Keith & Cecilia Comeaux Frank & Diann Cornish William & Janet Daly Gregg & Hyacinth DeMar James Traynham & Gresdna Doty Mary J. Eberhard Richard D. Gandour Robert & Paula Gerdes Hope Langer Gertler & Bert Langer Goldberg Stephen K. Goff Linda A. Goodrum Beverly Greenwell Robert T. Grissom

for investing in tomorrow's scientists

Bill & Mary Helen Hamilton Thomas & Brenda Harrington III George & Deborah Harrison Frank & Patricia Harrison John & Terri Havens 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 Ashley L. Howell Kai Huang Bryan & Kerri Lynn Kansas Amanda BarrĂŠ Kogos & Philip Kogos Richard & Helene Kurtz Arlo & Eunice Landolt John & Diane Legleu Bill & Marilyn Lovell L. J. Lyell Gordon P. Marshall James & Nancy McKinnie Lawrence & Linda Messina Brian Petit & Jan Wampold Charles & Pamela Pinckney Kelly & Joey Poret John D. Reeves Joe & Kim Reid Frankie & Roger Rholdon Martin & Delores Richard Xiulu Ruan & Ling Cui Roland & Susan Samson John & Toni Sardisco Carl & Lyn Schmulen Fred Sheldon & Jody Kennard Wayne & Anne Simpson Jeffrey & Shelly Sketchler Esther G. Socolofsky George & Karin Sonnier Curtis & Helen Sorrells James R. Stewart Jr. William & Versa Stickle Karen Adler Storthz & Joe Storthz Marvin Stuckey Erich & Shannon Sturgis Estes & Brenda Thomas Lowell E. Urbatsch Mac & Anne Wallace Gary Byerly & Maud Walsh Earl H. Weidner

Jasper & Jane Ann Welch Keith & Katie White Danny & Kay Williamson Liangang & Lei Ye Edward & Jo Zganjar Richard P. Zingula $100 to $999 Lloyd & Carolyn Aguillard Mary J. Alford James H. Anderson Paul Antolik & Barbara Bone Diola & Ella Bagayoko John & Nancy Bair Jerry W. Ball Brian & Mary Barkemeyer Robert D. Bates Deana J. Beckham James Bishop & Virginia Bunker Steven Bishop Bradley & Cynthia Black Meredith Blackwell Michael & Amy Borgmeyer Andre L. Boutte William & Dorothy Bowdon Joe & Elaine Bradley Barry & Laura Breaux Jay & Sherry Breaux Roger & Barbara Breedlove John H. Brinson Billy & Jaclyn Brizzard James & Anne Marie Brooks Aminthe & Patrick Broussard Charles E. Brown William & Nancy Brown Paul A. Bruce Michael & Patricia Burdine Jeffrey M. Burford Diane D. Burnett Kevin J. Burns Peggy Capell Guillermo Ferreyra & Sara Cattaneo Victor & Carolyn Cavaroc Milton C. Chapman Frank M. Coates Jr. John & Lois Cole Leon & Carol Combs Jack S. Conklin Jennifer O. Coulson Martha L. Council Gretchen S. Crawford Kermit C. Cummings

You̶​̶our graduates, donors, and friends̶​̶are vital to the continued success of the LSU College of Science. We are grateful to have such loyal committed alumni. 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, 2013.

James & Dorothy Dake Joseph A. D'Anna Jr. Doris W. Darden Frank & Ellen Daspit Gaston & Mimi Daumy David L. Davies Terry R. Davis Robert M. de Bellevue Deborah A. DeBram Ronald J. Deck Ferdinand & Jo Ann DeRouen Patrick & Carmen Dessauer Kevin J. Dileo Patrick W. Dooley Ronald G. Douglas Robert E. Drumm Robert & Mary Dunnell Harold P. Dupuy Susan M. Eaton Jerry & Linda Edwards Dick & CeCe Edwards Michael & Rosemarie Eger Gary & Sophit Ewing Doris Falkenheiner Darryl & Jennifer Felder Rodney Barlow & Patricia Fithian William & Avril Font Robert & Mary Fontenot Gerald & Jan Foret Ann T. Forster Juhan Frank John Z. French Leon H. Gabro Keith R. Gibson John R. Gilmore Darrin & Felicia Gipson Bill M. Girard Joseph W. Goerner Harold & Verne Green Christopher & Andrea Grenier Daren M. Guertin Joseph D. Guillory Jr. Marcella W. Hackney William T. Hall Gerald V. Hannan Leo & Bonnie Happel Carolyn H. Hargrave Guy Harris Robert & Barbara Helmkamp Henry & Ingrid Hennigan Bertram R. Henry Jocelyn & William Hewitt Virginia G. Hodge Jessica C. Hogan Daniel & Rosemary Hoolihan Jay & Judith Huner Brett A. Hutchinson Morton & Phyllis Isler

Chad & Jamie Jackson Robert & Jane Jemison Arthur & Susan Joerger Alphonse & Ann Jolissaint Marilyn & Kenneth Jones Thomas G. Jones III Richard J. Keller David & Jeri Kelly Walter P. Kessinger Jr. Kenneth & Sandra Kneipp William & Mary Koederitz John & Patsy Laker William & Carolyn Lane Donald & Cheryl Langenbeck Jim & Kathryn Lee Robert & Kandace Lee Jim & Doris Lewis David Longstreth & Sue Barlett Tiansheng S. Lu Bing-Hao Luo Robert & Mary MacGregor Susan & Duncan MacLean Michael & Judith Madden Mary & Jim Maley Mary & A. G. Malliaris Charmaine B. Mamantov Gleb Mamantov James E. Marler Ann Marie Marmande Keith & Stephanie Martin William & Marilyn Martin Vicente J. Martinez Andrew & Anne Maverick Roger & Karen May William & Renee McAlister Patrick J. McCormick Donald J. McGarey Jr. Jarrod & Emily McGehee Kathleen M. McManus Lawrence & Lynnette Menconi Robert C. Menezes Jr. Judith A. Monte Sheila L. Moore Jim & Robin Morel David & Elizabeth Morgan Jim & Patricia Moroney Maury & Elizabeth Morrison Virginia L. Mouw Robert G. Moyle David & Wendy Muth Charles R. Neatrour Claude T. Nesser Frank & Kristy Neubrander Edward P. Nixon Heber R. Norckauer Jr. Willette Y. Norman Judith L. O'Neale William H. Opdyke

Rodney & Pamela Ott Shangli Ou Stephen L. Pagans Timothy J. Pardue Brad & Susan Patt Dave Patton Gary E. Paul Jane B. Peek Henry & Jennifer Peltier Robert & Susan Perlis Kenneth & Christi Perret Steven & Michelle Pillow Donald & Connie Posner Virginia M. Proctor Meghan G. Radtke Larry & Ann Raymond Robert B. Redmon James & Lea Reeves Kevin & Winifred Reilly Stephen C. Rice Robert J. Robbins James T. Robert James & Diane Roberts Manley & Yvonne Roe Timothy M. Ross Sharon C. Rossman John H. Runnels George Ruppeiner Jr. Stephen M. Russell Dennis A. Russo Carl T. Sanchez Beverly S. Schalon James & Carol Schnabel Michael & Pamela Schonefeld Scott & Heather Schuber Thomas & Minh Tho Schulenberg Peter Scott & Diana Hews Lynn Seeholzer Ambar N. Sengupta Janice M. Shannon Thomas & Susan Shirley Frank G. Sholte Jr. Terence & Kristine Sillett Sara L. Simmonds Wayne & Marian Slocum Margaret A. Smeck Brian J. Smith Stacy & Kelly Smith Winston & Katherine Smith Lawrence & Susan Smolinsky Lawrence & Peggy Stanley Charles & Mary Steele Carl & Lisa Steinkamp Raymond W. Stephens Jr. Jon & Cynthia Strohmeyer Michael & Julia Svoren Erick M. Swenson Deborah G. Teal

Scott & Linda Terrill Christopher & Katherine Thompson Gregory & Margaret Trahan Robert & Ellise Turner Hatcher Tynes Kathy Vail Rashmi Venugopal Harold & Kimberly Voss Roy & Mary Walther Alan M. Warren Kevin Carman & Sue Welsh Jerry Wermund John & Elizabeth Whitley Lawrence E. Wilkinson Sartor O. Williams III Bruce & Maria Williamson Chris & Gay Winters Loretta C. Witt Jack & Anna Lea Woods Up to $99 Barbara B. Alexius Joan C. Alford Lester & Jacquelyn Ancelet Aida & Sidney Anderson Ann Anderson David L. Anderson Jane & Tom Anderson Paula K. Arai William C. Armistead Miles & Carole Barnett Sharon Barrell & Robert Hetes Roberta L. Beckers Allen & Claudia Black Nancy & William Boddie Nell T. Boersma Nancy B. Bogan Daniel & Tena Bonnet Kevin A. Boudreaux Richard & Tam Bourgeois Kailyn P. Brabham Bivion C. Brooking James A. Brown Melody Bruce & David Ray Wendell & Dawn Brumfield Joseph & Sharey Caire Joseph & June Cannizzaro Jenny D. Caraway Frank & Penni Cartledge Andrew & Carol Caruso Leila Causbie Kelvin Y. Chang Weizhe & Zui Chu Craig & Patricia Clifford James & Travis Coleman Jon R. Craig

LSU College of Science | 35

Individuals Anthony Croal Jr. Kalman S. Csigi Samuel & Donna Cunningham Bob & Barbara Danos William & Peggy Davis Brian & Sharon Dearing James L. Decker Margaret Deitrich Terry J. Delord Thomas & Elizabeth Demars Dennis Demcheck & Kay Radlauer Hongyi Deng Damon Billodeaux & Jennifer Ducatel Tammy R. Dugas James & Kathleen Duke Fannie & Robert Easterly John E. Erffmeyer Marie C. Erie John & Susan Exnicios Sue A. Field Joelle J. Finley Albert & Marcia Fivizzani Catherine A. Fletcher Jeri A. Flynn Peter & Alice Fogg Carol B. Foster A. R. & Richard Gaines Paul T. Gaudet Eugene & Ginger Gomes Paul R. Goodwin Stewart & Clarice Gordon Lynn J. Graybar Else M. Greenstone John M. Grimley Sr.

36 | The PURSUIT

continued:

Trula & James Gross Eric & Lindsay Guerin Francis & Barbara Guglielmo Jack P. Guillory Kevin C. Haaga Jene & Maxine Hall Michael & Danella Halle Kyle Harms & Jessica Eberhard Robert N. Harvey Fareed T. Hawwa Wallis & Lydia Hines Charles & Ruth Horne Dorothy & John Hudson Lauren M. Hulbert Sarah K. Janes Ann & Herman Jarobe James G. Jolissaint Jerome & Holly Keister Ralph & Melanie Kenning Ralph W. Kewish Jr. Edward & Nancy Khoury Karrie & Kerry Kilgore Robert & Sandra Kingan George A. Knesel Robert J. Kramer Andrew W. Kratter James J. LaNasa Jr. Art LeBlanc Richard & Elaine LeBlanc James A. Lloyd Gary & Deserae Mall Ernest & Barbara Martin Rebecca D. McCandless Kenneth & Virginia McClain Archie N. McIntyre Brad & Kay McPherson

Ronald D. Menard Linda R. Mills Abdul & Monsurat Mohammed Marian D. Moore Sarah E. Moore Daniel E. Mulligan Michael G. Murphy Elizabeth A. Oszewski Thomas V. Ozio Stephen P. Paris Allen & Elizabeth Phillips Cecil & Neila Phillips Roland D. Pool Harriett Pooler David & Susan Pourciau Erika & Robert Rabalais Virasith Rajapho Nelita M. Ramey Donna H. Redmann Leonard & Joan Richardson Bert & Suellen Riemenschneider James & Krista Roche Carlyle & Irene Rogillio Kenneth & F. C. Roussel Larry & Valerie Royer Kristopher N. Ruebsamen Benjamin & Elizabeth Russell Claes & Marianne Ryn Virginia E. Sanders William & Diana Sanderson Donald J. Sarkies Indrajith C. Senevirathne Joel & Marla Silverberg John & Lisa Simpson Charles & Gloria Slocum Beverly C. Smiley

Barbara A. Smith Suzanne B. Smith Eric Boudreaux & Claudette Smith-Boudreaux Timothy L. Sorrells Craig M. Spears A. Lloyd & Pamela Stoessell Frederick & Cheryl Stromeyer Troye & Olga Svendson Maureen L. Swisher Amanda L. Talbot Andrew V. Talmadge Jr. Robert & Patricia Dunhardt Robert & Betty Toups Jeffrey & Alice Trahan Joseph G. Vallee Matthew & Amanda Veazey Brent M. Vu Theresa & Chinh Vu John & Alice Wade Patricia G. Watermeier Philip L. Waterworth Edward A. Weisblatt Christopher & Christina Welch Charles & Patricia White Robert & Yvonne Whitmarsh Kenneth & Shannon Wiley Robert E. Williams Charles R. Wilson Duane & Joanne Wolcott George J. Young Jr. Hong-Wei Zhao

Organizations $100,000 and above Chevron National Math and Science Initiative $25,000 to $99,999 Marathon Oil Corporation Occidental Petroleum Corporation Shell Oil Company Taylor Porter Brooks and Phillips LLP $5,000 to $24,999 American Chemical Society

Society

1860

Circle

$1,000 to $4,999 Albemarle Corporation Baton Rouge Section of American Chemical BooGrisby Foundation Halliburton Foundation Inc.

Liskow & Lewis Marathon Petroleum Corporation Newfield Exploration Company Southeastern Geophysical Society United Technologies Corp

Riverside Academy Inc. Senso St. Amant High School West Ouachita High School

Up to $999 A.M. Barbe High School Avian Events Support Team BASF Corporation Baton Rouge Magnet High School Bolton High School Buckeye High School Fontainebleau High School Hageman Family Foundation Hess Corporation

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.

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

dean's

Baker Hughes Incorporated BP America Inc Coypu Foundation Trust Devon Energy Corporation Exxon Mobil Corporation Hubert Charitable Foundation Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Patrick F. Taylor Foundation The Jack Webster Grigsby Foundation

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

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 aowen@lsu.edu.

Hal & Peggy Aaslestad Samuel & Camille Abshire Bruce A. Adams Jr. Ronnie & Denise Alvarez Mary Lou Applewhite * Larry & Alice Arthur Frank & Dianne Auer Byron & Gladys Ayme Byrd & Alice Ball Jeremy & Lu Ellen Bariola Charles & Mary Barré * Peggy A. Battalora Charles & Mary Belleau Allen & Susan Berlin Charles & Jo Black Pat Hewlett Bodin & Eric Bodin George & Debbie Boudreaux Scott & Susan Brodie Brad & Julie Broussard Robert & Linda Brousse Stephen L. & Cynthia Brown Stephen T. & Catherine Brown * Jon & Jonell Brubaker Robb & Tiffanie Brumfield Peter & Alice Burland Gary Byerly & Maud Walsh Sybil Callaway & Elias Bou-Waked Kevin Carman & Susan Welsh *

Elwyn & Ollie Cavin Clarence & Ann Cazalot * Mike & Julie Cherry Purnell & Joan Choppin * Carlo & Beverly Christina * Keith & Cecilia Comeaux Hardy & Jeanette Coon * Bill & Janet Daly Gaston & Mimi Daumy Gregg & Hyacinth DeMar * Dick & Cece Edwards Hope Langer Gertler & Bert Langer Goldberg L. J. & Chee Chee Gielen Arleen and Charles Goldberg Linda A. Goodrum Beverly Greenwell * Robert T. Grissom Bill & Mary Helen Hamilton * Reinosuke & Kuni Hara * Thomas & Brenda Harrington III 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 Keith & Pamela Jordan Bryan & Kerri Lynn Kansas Neil & Arlene Kestner Stella Kim and Andrew Lee Terren & Maria Klein Amanda Barré Kogos & Philip Kogos 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 James & Nancy McKinnie Fred & Misty Meendsen Lawrence & Linda Messina Ron & Mary Neal * Wayne & Heike Newhauser Edward P. Nixon Stuart & Kim Oden Beverly Ogden & Bayne Dickinson

Rodney & Pamela Ott James & Linda Painter * Jimmie & Ann Peltier * Ed Picou & Dan Armstrong * Charles & Pamela Pinckney Kelly & Joey Poret John D. Reeves Joe & Kim Reid Rachel & Jason Reina Gil & Susan Rew Frankie & Roger Rholdon Martin & Delores Richard Xiulu Ruan & Ling Cui* Roland & Susan Samson John & Toni Sardisco Carl & Lyn Schmulen James & Carol Lee Schnabel Erik & Angela Scott Fred Sheldon & Jody Kennard Wayne & Anne Simpson Jeffrey & Shelly Sketchler Charles M. Smith * Esther Socolofsky George & Karin Sonnier Karen Adler Storthz & Joseph Storthz Marvin E. Stuckey Erich & Shannon Sturgis Estes & Brenda Thomas

LSU College of Science | 37

dean's

Circle

continued

Jim Traynham & Gresdna Doty * Mel & Diane Triay III * Robert & Ellise Turner Harold M. Voss Mac & Ann Wallace Jan B. Wampold Earl H. Weidner Jasper & Jane Ann Welch Keith & Katie White Danny & Kay Williamson * Armour C. Winslow Winnie Wong-Ng Jack & Anna Lea Woods Liangang & Lei Ye Edward & Jo Zganjar * denotes charter member

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LSU College of Science

Mission Statement The mission of the College of Science is to provide the highest quality educational programs and to create and disseminate new knowledge through scientific research.

Through fulfillment of this mission, our students become scientifically literate citizens and our graduates have the opportunity to pursue successful careers in science and related disciplines. We are committed to being the primary scientific intellectual resource for Louisiana and a leader in the nation, promoting economic development by the transfer of scientific knowledge into practice.

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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-time freshmen, 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 2004-14 are also eligible for DC membership.

Members enjoy invitations to the annual Dean's Circle 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.