College of Science Media Center  

Elaine Nkwocha is a PhD student in the Department of Biological Sciences. In this blog, she recounts her inspiring journey from Nigeria, navigating personal tragedy, familial expectations, and educational challenges to pursue her passion for STEM, ultimately becoming an advocate for diversity and inclusion in science education.

Shamika Kelley leads a dedicated team in the reconstruction of the NOPD Crime Lab after the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Their primary goal is to attain accreditation from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) National Accreditation Board (ANAB) and the FBI's Quality Assurance Standards for DNA testing, with the aim of fostering a sense of safety and security in the New Orleans community.

When Professor Samuel Bentley stepped down from an administrative role to dive back into research, he did so on a grand scale. Bentley now co-leads a 15-member consortium called The Mississippi River Delta Transition Initiative; a $22 million effort known as MissDelta. Their objective is to forecast the future of the Mississippi's Birdsfoot Delta, addressing environmental and socio-economic challenges. Rooted in a century-long commitment, their predictive modeling aims to safeguard the Delta from land loss by translating research into impactful policy.

LSU Mathematics professor Robert Lipton has been awarded a $1.25 million MURI grant for his research on extreme deformation in material structures. The project, "Complexity, Nonlocality, and Uncertainty in Heterogeneous Solids," involves collaboration with institutions like Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Chicago. This interdisciplinary effort aims to enhance materials' durability through mathematical modeling and has significant implications for defense and commercial sectors.

The LSU Quantum Photonics Group unveils fresh insights into the core traits of surface plasmons, challenging established understanding. These groundbreaking findings, published in Nature Physics, result from experimental and theoretical work in Associate Professor Omar Magaña-Loaiza’s lab, marking a significant leap forward in quantum plasmonics and possibly the most notable advancement in the past decade.

Cristian Ricaurte Perez, a third-year PhD student in Biological Sciences, received the first-ever fellowship from the American Heart Association (AHA) for the LSU College of Science. Perez's research focuses on manipulating lysosomes to promote longer and healthier lives, potentially preventing age-related diseases like cardiovascular diseases and cancer.