A
Start Career Path on the
LSU’s Undergraduate Researchers Produce More than term papers
By Brenda Macon | Photos by Eddy Perez and Jim Zietz
20 LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2014
At LSU, several programs currently in place allow undergraduates to work with faculty mentors to produce research results that have significant impact in their fields: the Chancellor’s Alumni Scholars program; ASPIRE, which is supported through the College of Humanities & Social Sciences; and the Chancellor’s Future Leaders in Research are just a sampling of these programs. With the recently announced Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) that LSU has established as part of its reaffirmation of accreditation package, this trend toward hands-on research opportunities for undergraduates will increase exponentially. The QEP, which launches in fall 2014, embraces the idea that undergraduates should be actively involved in learning, creating, researching, and developing ideas as part of the natural discovery process. Titled “LSU Discover,” the QEP expands opportunities for all LSU students to participate in projects that will give them not only a better understanding of their fields, but also a leg up on their careers after they graduate. In this brief series of profiles on students who are already part of the research community at LSU, we endeavor to show the breadth and variety of talent among LSU’s undergraduates.