The Louisiana State Capitol on Aug. 22, lit up in purple and gold in recognition of the honorees at the 2023 Promotion & Tenure Recognition Ceremony. Click here to view a selection of photos from the event. 

Dear Colleagues,

As we move into the middle third of the semester, I want to draw attention to just a few outstanding achievements of LSU faculty and students. "Scholarship First" couldn’t be more clear in these diverse accomplishments.

Our community's scholarly pursuits continue to weave a rich tapestry of knowledge, as reflected in the recent publication of a book on jazz improvisation by Associate Professor Doug Stone. The book will resonate with students and accomplished musicians alike who want to improve their improv.

The intriguing symbiotic relationship between driver ants and ant-following birds in central Africa, as shared by PhD student Patricia Rodrigues at a conference in India this summer, reflects the curiosity that drives our scholars to explore interconnections within the natural world. Rodrigues’s research describes the complex and important relationship between what sounds to me like a terrifying insect species and fascinating ant-following bird.

LSU scholarship not only contributes to the academic richness of LSU but also reflects our commitment towards addressing real-world challenges. The Rural Confluence initiative and the Infrastructure Optimization project, backed by an NSF grant, demonstrate how LSU extends its academic prowess beyond the campus, fostering partnerships that seek to uplift communities and ensure a sustainable future. Moreover, the Cyber Physical System Security project, a collaboration with DARPA, underscores LSU's role in pioneering cutting-edge solutions to growing cybersecurity challenges. Our concerted efforts in this domain underline the importance of fostering a secure digital landscape, which is crucial in this era of burgeoning technological advancements.

The dedication to advancing our academic mission is mirrored in the significant milestone achieved by LSU faculty in research activity, reaching a total system-wide research expenditure of $428 million. We are at the beginning of an upward trend that I am confident will continue.

The several engagements of our Center for Energy Studies illustrate the interdisciplinary approach towards tackling contemporary challenges, fostering a discourse that melds policy, technology, and societal needs. I doubt that there is a major challenge facing society today that does not require an interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary solution, and the Center for Energy Studies is a good example of LSU’s ability to play in that space.

I also wish to spotlight the Provost’s Fund for Innovation in Research and, in particular, the Big Idea Research Grants. This is an excellent resource that supports the investigative endeavors of our faculty with seed money to get a big idea off the ground. I encourage you to leverage this opportunity to further their research aspirations. Note that this is open to faculty at the A&M and AgCenter campuses, including Veterinary Medicine and the Law Center.

I extend my thanks to each member of our LSU family. Your scholarly pursuits and creative endeavors are the heart of our academic mission.

Geaux Tigers!

Sincerely,

Roy Haggerty
Executive Vice President & Provost

On Friday, Sept. 8, the LSU Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to promote Kenneth J. Schafer, Ball Family Distinguished Professor in Physics & Astronomy, to the rank of Boyd Professor—the highest and most prestigious academic rank at LSU. President Tate and Provost Haggerty visited Dr. Schafer's Electromagnetism course to give him the good news. Click the graphic above to watch the video.

Another $1.8 million dollars is available in seed funding through the Provost's Fund for Innovation in Research. The fund, initially established in 2022, aims to position the university as a leader in key research domains and secure substantial external funding. Click here to learn more about the Provost's Fund for Innovation in Research. 

Karsten Thompson, Interim Dean of the College of Engineering, discusses how his research aligns with LSU's Scholarship First Agenda, especially in the context of energy, by helping advance technologies for oil and gas production and carbon capture and storage, which is crucial for Louisiana's role in industrial CCS.  

Read more about Dean Karsten Thompson.

PM 40: Military & Veterans Educational Benefits and Assistance is a new policy centered on educational benefits and assistance for military personnel and veterans. The intent behind creating this new policy was to provide a single, comprehensive policy where pertinent information can be found in one place. The content of this policy is intended to reflect current federal and state legal requirements as well as LSU’s commitment to providing support for this special population.

PM 31: Student Residency Classification for Tuition Purposes was revised as a result of the creation of PM 40. Much of the content in PM 40 pertains to residency classification for tuition purposes, which up to this point has been a part of PM 31. The revisions to PM 31 remove the military/veterans-related content and directs readers to PM 40. The other changes to PM31 are intended to streamline the organization of the document and do not represent any significant shifts from the previous version of the policy.

PS 42: Student Fees was recently revised to provide further clarity to the legal framework surrounding student fees, the procedures for university approvals, and to include descriptions for two fee types not in the previous version of the policy: special service fees and optional service fees. There were no significant changes to existing procedures.

The LSU Digital Commons has a new name and web address. The LSU Scholarly Repository, a platform that houses open-access research and scholarship authored by members of the LSU community, can be found at a new URL, repository.lsu.edu. Contact the Institutional Repository Librarian at [email protected] for more information. 

Discover Day

LSU’s annual undergraduate research conference, LSU Discover Day, will be held on Friday, April 19th.  Applications will open on Nov.1st and faculty are asked to encourage their research students to apply.  Students can present art, posters, oral presentations, poetry readings, and more.

LSU Libraries Special Collections Exhibition

LSU Libraries Special Collections’ new exhibition, “The Legacies They Built: Honoring Pinkie Gordon Lane, Lutrill and Pearl Payne, and Julian T. White,” honors the contributions of four, pioneering Black scholars who shaped LSU’s history. Recently, LSU named two programs and one building after them to honor their legacies as students, educators, and community leaders who broke barriers, overcame prejudice, and left a lasting impact on our university. The exhibition is free and open to the public now through December 20, 2023, in Hill Memorial Library.