Header Logo

Provost Haggerty and Interim Vice President Common pictured with the Tiger Twelve. Office of Academic Affairs Newsletter May 2023

Caption: Provost Roy Haggerty and Interim Vice President Brandon Common pictured with the Tiger Twelve. From left to right: Brandon Common, Harper Frederick Thompson Doerr, Jackson Martingayle, Andrew Larpenter, Joshua Crawford, Aine O’Nuanain, Sara Martin, Avery Claire Hebert, Catherine Ladner, Tammy San, Daniel Michael O'Leary, Zachary Andrew Mayfield, Roy Haggerty. Not pictured: Tiffany Phuong Dang

A Note from Provost Haggerty


Dear Colleagues,

As we end the academic year, I want to pause and list a few highlights that we have achieved together. This year, LSU has made significant strides in advancing its Scholarship First agenda. The university appointed Eric Lau as the Dean of the College of Music & Dramatic Arts, Alena Allen as the Dean of the Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Kimberly Bissell as the Dean of the Manship School of Mass Communication, Robert Twilley as Vice President for Research & Economic Development, and Matt Lee as Vice President and Dean of the College of Agriculture, each bringing exceptional experience and expertise to their respective fields. These appointments will enhance education, research, and public service at LSU.

LSU is on track to achieve its highest research expenditures ever, reflecting its commitment to innovation, knowledge generation, and economic development. Through the Provost's Fund for Innovation in Research, LSU granted $1.1 million to 33 projects, marking the largest seed funding in its history. These funds will benefit research in areas such as new antibiotics, low-carbon energy alternatives, and "forever chemicals" removal. The university aims to attract external support and federal funding by promoting interdisciplinary research in agriculture, biomedicine, coast and environment, defense and cybersecurity, and energy.

Last, but certainly not least, our students have accomplished a great deal this academic year. While we are unable to list all of their accomplishments in our newsletter, we wanted to share some highlights of their success in the classroom, field, and community. Please take some time to view the videos that have been curated for this purpose below.

As we move into the next year, we are optimistic about continuing our trajectory of excellence and growth. The university is poised to create more opportunities for its students and faculty, while driving innovation and contributing to the economic development of Louisiana and beyond. With a strong foundation and a clear vision, LSU looks forward to an even more successful year ahead.

I want to wish all of you a great summer, whether it be in the field, your lab, writing a book, producing a piece of art, relaxing with family, or traveling. See you in August!

Sincerely,

Roy Haggerty
Executive Vice President & Provost

Student Success Spotlight


Video film with thumbnail images of YouTube videos featuring LSU students. gold LSU logo in the bottom right hand corner.

Please enjoy a video roundup of star students excelling in the classroom and in the community. Click here to view the YouTube playlist, which features:

  • a student that found missing "purple" DNA signal in bacteria found in oysters,
  • a student that is combining his passion for dance with a newfound passion for biochemistry,
  • a trilingual student studying biological sciences and French with a goal of helping devastated communities,
  • students lending their talents to GOHSEP for cybersecurity PSAs,
  • a class where students learn how to ethically hack digital devices in order to discover privacy and security weaknesses,
  • a student using their classroom knowledge to help make Tiger Stadium's turf ready for game days,
  • a digital art class where students learn how to code and program and also receive support for mental wellness and learning outcomes, 
  • a graduate student conducting research on breast cancer,
  • a volleyball player and engineering student earning high marks in the classroom and on the court,
  • and a Honors College student studying political science and piano that is a Truman Scholar and the first Louisiana student to become a John Robert Lewis scholar.

 

A Conversation with Incoming Dean Eric Lau


headshot of Eric Lau against a stylized LSU background with the text "The Universal Language of Music and Dramatic Arts"

Incoming Dean of the College of Music & Dramatic Arts shares insight into his research and how the LSU College of Music & Dramatic Arts will advance the Scholarship First Agenda. Read more about Dean Eric Lau.

 

LSU Special Collections Faculty Fellowship


LSU Special Collections Faculty Fellowship, information found in body textAll LSU teaching faculty members are invited to apply for the first-ever LSU Libraries Special Collections Faculty Fellowship, which provides funding opportunities, hands-on workshops, and a community of practice to educators who integrate archive-centered teaching into their curriculum. The application deadline is June 1. Orientation will be held Aug. 14-16, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The application requires a brief curriculum development proposal, a brief statement of your teaching philosophy, and a current CV. To learn more and apply, please visit the fellowship website. Contact Leah Duncan at LPowe17@lsu.edu with any questions.

 

Promotion & Tenure 2022-2023


We are honored to announce the following faculty members who received promotion and/or tenure for the 2022-2023 academic year. All of these individuals successfully completed a rigorous process at the departmental, college and University level. We look forward to celebrating their accomplishments at an event in the fall. Click here to view the full list of faculty who received promotion and/or tenure.

Manship School Dean Announcement


headshot of Kim Bissell

Kimberly Bissell

LSU has named Kimberly Bissell the Dean of the Manship School of Mass Communication, effective July 24, pending approval by the LSU Board of Supervisors.

Bissell is currently an administrator and faculty member at the University of Alabama’s College of Communication and Information Sciences, where she serves as Associate Dean for Research; Executive Director of the Institute for Communication & Information Research; Director of the Health Communication Research Lab; and the Southern Progress Corporation Endowed Professor in Magazine Journalism. Click here to read more about Kimberly Bissell.

Interim Dean of the College of Engineering


headshot of Karsten Thompson

Karsten Thompson

After the announcement that Dean Wornat had decided to return to faculty, LSU  named Karsten Thompson Interim Dean of the College of Engineering, effective May 29. Thompson currently serves as Chair of the Department of Petroleum Engineering, Longwell-Leonard Family Distinguished Professor, and the Malcolm C. Jr. and Gene Perdue Lowe Professor. A national search to find an established, dynamic and visionary leader capable of elevating the College of Engineering's prominence and impact will be launched within the coming months. Please join us in thanking Dean Judy Wornat for the many contributions her leadership and service have yielded for LSU.

Interim Dean of the College of the Coast & Environment


headshot of Clint Willson

Clint Willson

The timeline for the search for the Dean of the College of the Coast & Environment has been extended, with an anticipated hire of a permanent dean by July 1, 2024.Dean Chris D’Elia is returning to a full-time faculty position on June 30. As a result, I am pleased to announce that Dr. Clint Willson has agreed to serve as interim dean, effective July 1. Dr. Willson currently serves as the Mike N. Dooley, P.E. Professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering and the Director of the LSU Center for River Studies. We understand the importance of the College of the Coast & Environment to LSU, and look forward to sharing more details with you about the ongoing search. Please join us in thanking Dean Chris D’Elia for his dedicated leadership and service to the College of the Coast & Environment for the last 14 years.

 

SEC Emerging Scholars


Departments are invited to nominate graduate students and post docs for the second annual SEC Emerging Scholars Program and Career Preparation Workshop. The event will be hosted by the University of Arkansas Oct. 1-4, 2023. The deadline to submit a nomination is  May 22, 2023, at 5 p.m. Please click here to view more details about the SEC Emerging Scholars Program.

OER/AER Webinar


The Office of Academic Affairs hosted a webinar on Thursday, April  27, regarding open and affordable educational resources, a priority university initiative to make courses more affordable and accessible for our students. Please click here to view the recording.

 

REFRESH | New Perspectives on Teaching


All faculty are invited to attend REFRESH | New Energy for Teaching. This event is held on annual basis right before the start of the fall semester and focuses on improving undergraduate teaching. The keynote speaker this year is Dr. Zakiya Wilson-Kennedy, the Ron and Dr. Mary Neal Distinguished Associate Professor of Chemistry Education and Associate Dean for Diversity & Inclusion for the College of Science. The event will be held on Friday, Aug. 18, from 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. in the Harrison Boardroom in the LSU Foundation building. Seating is limited. Click here to register for REFRESH.

headshot of Zakiya Wilson-Kennedy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zakiya Wilson-Kennedy

Provost's Fellow Update


The Office of Academic Affairs would like to extend its sincere thanks to Theda Daniels-Race for serving as our Inaugural Provost’s Fellow. In this role, Dr. Daniels-Race oversaw a successful campus-wide campaign to increase awareness of Open Educational Resources and Affordable Educational Resources and served at the interim chair of the Learning and Teaching Collaborative. Her sense of humor, dedication to equity, and the perspective she brought to the position served the campus well and made her a valued colleague.

This fall, we will be seeking applications for next year’s Provost’s Fellow in Undergraduate Studies. We are looking for a tenured faculty member who is engaged in and enthusiastic about undergraduate programs. Reporting to the Vice Provost for Academic Programs and Support Service, this person will work on projects that include working with leaders in Integrative Learning Core, Residential Life, and academic policies on behalf of Academic Affairs. An administrative supplement, course release, and summer salary will be provided. The call for applications will go out the week before fall classes.

University Faculty Awards


On April 27, the recipients of the University Faculty Awards were announced. There are few places beyond a flagship institution where such a broad range of significant accomplishments are evident. Their stories epitomize the goals of discovery, teaching, engagement, and creativity and are nested within the vision and goals of our strategic plan. These faculty members, selected through a highly-competitive process, continue to set a standard for excellence at our university. We thank the LSU Alumni Association and the LSU Foundation for their continued generous support of our esteemed faculty. Click here to view the recipients of the 2023 University Faculty Awards.

Worley Professors of Excellence


Dr. George Z. Voyiadjis, Chairman of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Dr. Theda Daniels-Race, Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, were both recently named recipients of the Worley Professor of Excellence Award, which is presented by Worley and LSU’s Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes. Dr. Voyiadjis was recognized for this achievement at the LSU vs. Southeastern Louisiana women’s basketball game on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022, and Dr. Daniels-Race was recognized on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, at the LSU vs. UL-Lafayette baseball game. Click here to view the Worley Professors of Excellence.

LSU Football Studying Abroad in Senegal


Eleven members of LSU football are currently studying abroad in Dakar, Senegal as part of the team’s first study abroad program and will be returning to LSU on May 21. For many participating, this is their first time abroad. LSU Athletics, International Programs, the Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership, and the Department of African and African American Studies partnered together to build this inaugural study abroad opportunity for student-athletes, fulfilling Coach Kelly’s vision of supporting players in establishing an identity outside of football. To learn more about this program, read LSU Athletics’ recent press release.

thumbnail of video regarding LSU Football studying abroad in Senegal with play button on top