Ogden Honors College Quadrille - 2023

Quadrille

A Newsletter for Alumni, Students, and Friends of the LSU Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College

Photo by Katherine Seghers/LSU

L E T T E R F R O M T H E D E A N

Dear Friends of the Ogden Honors College,

I hope your summer is off to a grand start. How about adding some news from the Ogden Honors College to that ambitious seasonal reading list!

It’s been another fantastic academic year for the College. We just said a fond farewell to our largest and most distinguished class of graduates and sent them off on new adventures across the globe. We watched as alumni achieved successes across the board. Do check out our feature on alumnus M.O. Walsh, who saw his book optioned and turned into a new show on AppleTV+ (I’m already hooked). And I think you’ll see why we’re so proud of students like Tay Moore, Rachael Coates, and Kenedi Lynch, who continue to rack up notable national scholarships and fellowships such as the Astronaut, Goldwater, and Truman. This year also marked the official start of our Mental Health Initiative, which led to hiring the first mental health therapist embedded inside the

CLASS OF 2023

The LSU Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College graduated 217 students and recognized outstanding seniors during the Ogden Honors College Spring 2023 graduation ceremony.

The 2023 graduating Ogden Honors College class is a stellar group of students, distinguishing themselves as researchers, writers, artists, leaders, and public servants on the LSU campus, in their local communities, and nationally. Graduates of this class have distinguished themselves through recognition in national fellowship competitions.

The class of 2023 includes a Louisiana Governor’s Fellow, a Fulbright Scholar, a Goldwater Scholar, an Astronaut Scholar, a Rotary Global Grant Scholar, and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. They have been initiated into numerous national honorary academic societies. Nine of our graduates have been selected to Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest distinguished honors society in the United States. Many graduates have been inducted into Phi Kappa Phi and the Omicron Delta Kappa leadership honors societies.

They have been recognized as leaders of campus-wide organizations, with eight of our graduates selected as members of LSU’s Tiger Twelve, 24 as Distinguished Communicators, and three with the Engaged Citizens Distinction.

Despite the challenges of a global pandemic, they have studied in Argentina, Austria, Ecuador, France, Ireland, Italy, Morocco, the Netherlands, Panama, South Korea, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, including our signature program at Oxford.

The four students who received the Honors College Outstanding Thesis Award were Aubry Hymel, Katie Miranda, Miles McClendon, and Carsyn Shirk. Evan James Leonhard won the Leo and Insa Abraham Award, which recognizes an outstanding Honors College senior each year. Emily C. Clark and Sara Anne Martin won the CC Dubois Award, which is given to students who demonstrate sustained commitment to LSU and broader communities, as well as a passion for serving others through research and leadership.

Photo by Katherine Seghers/LSU

REMEMBERING

Dr. Karen Maruska

SEPTEMBER 26, 1969 – MARCH 7, 2023

Dr. Karen Maruska was a beloved friend and supporter of the Honors College. Her laboratory’s research broadly focused on understanding the neural and molecular foundations of natural social behaviors, encompassing areas such as aggression, reproduction, and the mechanisms underlying sensory, behavioral, and neural plasticity. By exploring these mechanisms, valuable insights into sensory, motor, and cognitive processes were gained, shedding light on the substrates upon which selection operates to shape the evolution of organisms. Dr. Maruska supervised 11 theses for Honors students, including a recipient of the Outstanding Thesis award in the past. We are thankful for the time she dedicated to our students, and she is deeply missed.

“I worked in her lab since the second semester of my freshman year and she really was such an incredible scientist and mentor. She was always so supportive of us while also challenging us to achieve excellence; she wouldn’t accept anything less. As an LGBTQ+ student at a state institution in the Deep South, Dr. M made the lab a really accepting environment that I'll be forever grateful for. Even outside of my identities, Dr. M made sure that the lab environment was really a place of collaboration and if you ask anyone in the lab, they'll certainly sing their praises for how amazing of a lab environment she cultivated for us. We all felt like we belonged and mattered, grad and undergrad students alike, and it definitely helped me feel more confident in taking the next steps toward graduate school. The mentorship and experience that Dr. M gave me while in her lab as an undergraduate set such an amazing example for what a mentor and a lab environment are supposed to be like and I'm certain to carry that with me through the rest of my career in academia.”

- Tab Henry

“My relationship with Dr. Maruska as it relates to research and my honors thesis was unique. I had been in a lab at the vet school since my freshman year and was having some difficulty getting the college of science to agree to letting me continue in that lab for my thesis. Dr. Lee, my lab's PI, reached out to Dr. Maruska having worked with her on a prior project, and she agreed to signing off on my paperwork and assume the role of a proxy thesis director. While seemingly simple, I believe that this act spoke to who Dr. Maruska was. She was someone who always put students first, allowing us to pursue our interests. Dr. Lee was my primary research contact throughout the process, but I also had the opportunity to take vertebrate physiology with Dr. Maruska where she exuded the same persona giving us the same opportunities to explore topics of our interest in more detail for various assignments throughout the semester. Our class was early in the morning but Dr. Maruska always had a joyful demeanor which made class more enjoyable and slightly easier.“

-Cade Canepa

“Dr. Maruska provided me with a priceless opportunity when she allowed me to join her lab. I've never worked in such a welcoming environment - she made it clear that anyone and everyone was welcome in Maruska Lab. Between the googly-eyes I'd see on our lab equipment and the trips she would bring us all to the Dairy Store at LSU to get ice cream, working with Dr. Maruska was a fun experience filled with a warm sense of community created by Dr. Maruska herself. After taking the time to learn about me and get to know my personality, she placed me under the care of my graduate student mentor, Emily Ray, who was such a perfect match for me as someone to work with, and I know that Dr. Maruka took careful and thoughtful consideration when she made that decision. I started at the lab unsure of my career path, and the field of science still felt foreign and mysterious to me. However, under Dr. Maruska's guidance I was able to master tedious techniques and present my thesis research multiple times here at LSU and even out of state at the SICB science convention in Texas. When I presented my research at LSU Discover Day, Dr. Maruska happily showed up and proudly supported my work as my mentor and advisor. Dr. Maruska would catch me doing RNA extractions around the lab and take pictures that she could share under the lab's twitter page. It was small things like that that made me feel seen and special as an undergraduate mentor at her lab. Without Dr. Maruska, I know that the opportunities I've been granted wouldn't have been so easily accessible to me, and the confidence I've gained under her supervision would have come about much less quickly.“

-Marie Drozda

OFFICE OF FELLOWSHIP ADVISING SUCCESS

LSU boasts a winning tradition in prestigious fellowship competitions. The Ogden Honors College Office of Fellowship Advising mentors current students and recent graduates from all colleges at LSU as they apply for prestigious national and international fellowships, such as the Rhodes, Marshall, Gates, Mitchell, Udall, Truman, and Goldwater awards.

The Office of Fellowship Advising serves as the central resource for information on distinguished scholarships for LSU students; it publicizes scholarship opportunities to the LSU community and recruits applicants for prestigious awards; it also assists students who are preparing to compete for these awards.

Under the direction of Dr. Garrett Fontenot, the office has successfully coordinated hundreds of national fellowship applications and guided Ogden Honors students to achieve national recognition, including 27 Goldwater Scholars, 16 Goldwater Honorable Mentions, 13 Truman Scholars, 8 Udall Scholars, 19 Critical Language Scholars, 5 Hollings Scholars, 2 Knight-Hennessy Scholars, 2 Soros Fellows, 7 Rhodes Scholarship finalists, numerous Fulbright and NSF Graduate Fellowship recipients, and the university’s first Humanity in Action Fellow, Emerson Hunger Scholar, Jack Kent Cooke Scholar, Scoville Fellow, Gates Cambridge Scholar, and John Robert Lewis Scholar.

Tay Moore Truman Scholar

Aine O’Nuanain

Rotary Global Grant Scholar

Cale Locicero

NSF Graduate Research Fellow

Rachael Coates Astronaut Scholar Goldwater Scholar

Kenedi Lynch Astronaut Scholar Goldwater Scholar

Evan Leonhard Fulbright Scholar

Sophia Stewart Fulbright UK Summer Institute Scholar

Brynali Marshall Gilman Scholar

Sanaa Alam (alumnae) Knight-Hennessy Scholar

OGDEN HONORS JUNIOR ANTAVION “TAY” MOORE AWARDED PRESTIGIOUS TRUMAN SCHOLARSHIP FOR PUBLIC SERVICE IN RURAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Ogden Honors College junior Antavion “Tay” Moore, who became LSU’s first John Robert Lewis Scholar in 2022, has been named a 2023 Truman Scholar — the most prestigious award for undergraduates who are pursuing careers in public service. Moore was one of 62 students selected for this award out of 705 candidates nationwide.

Truman Scholars demonstrate outstanding leadership potential, a commitment to a career in government or the nonprofit sector, and academic excellence. Each Truman Scholar receives funding for graduate studies, leadership training, career counseling, and special internship and fellowship opportunities within the federal government.

Moore, who is pursuing degrees in political science and music, credits his hometown for his passion for service.

“Growing up in Ringgold [Louisiana] allowed me a front row seat to the issues facing rural communities in the South and sparked my passion for rural community development. If there’s one thing that my experiences in 4-H, church, and college have taught me, it is that problems are simply opportunities for positive change and young people have the potential to make a difference in society,” said Moore.

As service and research are pillars of the Ogden Honors curriculum, Moore has been able to forge his desired path as a leader in public service using evidencebased solutions to create change that is meaningful to him and his community. “When I arrived at LSU amid the COVID-19

pandemic, I didn’t know what role I would have in progressing my hometown, and other rural places like it across the South, forward,” said Moore. “Being an honors student has allowed me to study specific Louisiana public policy issues (such as chronic poverty, healthcare access, and education quality); regularly participate in and lead service projects; network with current state nonprofit, government, and business leaders; and receive support to apply for conferences, internships, and fellowships. The students, faculty, and staff are family and truly make LSU feel like home.”

proposal suggests formally incorporating service-learning into Louisiana Department of Education curriculums to combat Louisiana’s high youth disconnection rate. Louisiana has one of the highest rates in the country of young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not in school and not working with rural youth in north Louisiana being the most vulnerable. His proposal cites numerous studies that suggest that incorporating service-learning (students identifying a local community problem/need and working alongside their teachers and community stakeholders to develop long-term solutions) into courses increases school attendance, academic performance, civic engagement, career development and social skills.

“Through the experiences I have had in the 4-H program, I am a personal testament of this,” he noted.

Moore is also Louisiana Service and Leadership (LASAL) Scholar, program that prepares Ogden Honors College students for leadership roles in Louisiana, particularly in the fields of public service, social justice, and environmental sustainability.

Under the guidance of Dr. Belinda Davis, Moore is researching the variation in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) spending priorities during the COVID-19 pandemic across rural, urban, and suburban schools in Louisiana and how those priorities affect education outcomes.

In his Truman application, Moore’s policy

“The best Truman Scholars are ‘change agents,’” said LSU Ogden Honors College Dean Jonathan Earle, “and Tay most definitely fits that bill. He has already done so much – with 4-H, ESSER, service learning, the Lewis Scholars – that I literally can’t wait to see what he does next. Tay will be a phenomenal Truman Scholar.

After graduation Moore plans to pursue a Master of Public Policy/Master of Divinity dual-degree program. His ultimate goal is to craft and advocate for rural Louisiana policies that maximize local municipality capacity, increase workforce development, and prioritize public education, while creating grassroots programming through nonprofit and religious organizations.

Photo by Katherine Seghers/LSU

TWO OGDEN HONORS STUDENTS NAMED 2023 GOLDWATER AND ASTRONAUT SCHOLARS

most prestigious national scholarships in the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics in the United States.”It’s a tremendous honor to have not just one, but two Goldwater Scholars this year, and for them to receive the Astronaut Scholarship in addition to that is a true testament to their hard work and exceptional talents,” stated Earle.

Coates, a native of Pride, La., is an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Adam Melvin’s lab. Her research is focused on the effects of MAPK15 overexpression in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Her research aims to explore the role MAPK15 overexpression may play in women with this type of TNBC. She recently expanded her research to explore another cell line to establish the relevance of MAPK15 across the triple-negative breast cancer subtype. Coates also started participating in a project in collaboration with Tulane, where she decellularizes tumor tissue to create a scaffold for further study.

“The most exciting thing about [winning these awards] is that I have proven to myself that I can be successful. I am a first-generation college student, so I worked very hard to get where I am now, and I hope to be an inspiration to other first-gen students,” said Coates.

Coates is a part of the LSU Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) Program, which provides high-impact research experiences to a diverse pool of undergraduates and prepares them for entry into graduate programs in the biomedical sciences. Through MARC, she will be going to MIT over the summer for a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) where she will be designing a device to study a step in cancer metastasis known as extravasation, where cancer cells exit circulation and colonize a secondary site to form a metastatic tumor. This is Coates second time being awarded the Astronaut Scholarship as was also a recipient in 2022.

Lynch, a native of Houston, Tx., is a Stamps Scholar. Her undergraduate research focuses on infectious disease with a concentration on malaria.

“I think in science disciplines, especially if you’re looking to go to grad school (which I am to pursue an MD-PhD – super competitive), you’re always looking to do something that’s going to set you apart. This seemed like an excellent way to do that considering I’m interested in a degree that will facilitate my future clinical research ambitions,” said Lynch.

Lynch spent last summer doing research at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine under Dr. Netz Arroyo designing and testing E-AB sensors to cheaply and continuously sense blood vancomycin levels in an effort to reduce nephrotoxic effects of the antibiotic in patients. As a result of her work on that project, she will be listed as a co-author on the upcoming manuscript.

Ogden Honors juniors Rachael Coates and Kenedi Lynch were named 2023 Goldwater and Astronaut Scholars, awards that seek to identify, encourage, and financially support students of exceptional promise in becoming the nation’s next generation of research leaders in STEM. Both Coates and Lynch are studying biological sciences in LSU’s College of Science.

According to Ogden Honors College dean Jonathan Earle the Goldwater Scholarship Program is one of the oldest and

Lynch cites several other relevant research experiences that made her competitive in these scholarship competitions including being chosen as a 2023 LSU Discover Research Project Grant recipient, being on the executive board of Research Ambassadors, being a recipient of the President’s Future Leaders in Research Scholarship, having published research, and undertaking an honors thesis in Dr. Lattin’s Neuroendocrinology and Behavior Lab.

Rachael Coates

Kenedi Lynch

OHC FRESHMAN ANNE “ANI” BRASSEAUX ON WHY SHE CHOSE THE OGDEN HONORS COLLEGE OVER YALE

Growing up in New Haven, Connecticut as the daughter of a Yale dean and faculty member, Ogden Honors freshman Anne “Ani” Brasseaux dreamed of being a student at the Ivy League university. It’s hard to look past the prominence and prestige of an institution like Yale, but Brasseaux found that her deep family connection to the culture and traditions of Louisiana would alter her decision of where to attend college.

Brasseaux did get into Yale. And so, the big question becomes, why choose LSU and the Ogden Honors College?

“I grew up on Yale's campus, and after I found out I was accepted, all of my friends kind of assumed that’s where I was going. When I would tell them I was still deciding, they were shocked to learn I had started to consider LSU,” she said.

Choosing the Ogden Honors College meant coming home for Brasseaux. Born in Lafayette, she and her brother were the first in their family to grow up outside of Louisiana. “We moved to Connecticut after Hurricane Katrina because my dad got into grad school, so I’ve been away from Louisiana since I was three years old,” she explained. “But we come back to see family every year and my parents raised us like we never left.” Brasseaux’s grandfather Carl Brasseaux is a pioneer in the field of Cajun Studies, best known as a historian and educator specializing in French Colonial North America.

“I applied to LSU because most of my family had gone here. I hadn't really thought about coming here, but I saw an opportunity to be closer to the rest of my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents on both sides of my family and connect with the culture I was raised with but never really got to experience,” she said.

“After learning about the Honors College, I really felt like LSU was a viable option. The scholarships made it affordable for me even as an out-of-state student,” she noted. “But, what really sealed the deal was when Dean Earle reached out to me directly. I was on a field trip and I remember seeing the 225 area code, so I thought it was my great uncle calling to see how I was doing, but it was actually Dean Earle. He left a message saying to call back and I thought there was something wrong with my application and I wasn’t going to get in, but it was just him letting me know that he wanted students like me at LSU and that meant a lot to me,” she recalled.

Earle confirmed reaching out to Brasseaux, who was awarded a prestigious Hans and Donna Sternberg Scholarship. “First of all, Ani’s essay was original and brilliant. Her grades were stellar. She was clearly someone who could excel here and be a leader on the Honors campus,” he said. “But when I found out she had these deep family connections, I thought we might actually turn her.”

Aside from her cultural ties to Louisiana, Brasseaux gave a lot of thought to an environment where she could be successful

academically. “At my high school, 16 kids in a classroom was considered big. One thing I was worried about if I came to LSU was what I was going to do in a 100 person lecture or how I was going to navigate a campus with 35,000 people when my graduating class was 80 students?” said Brasseaux.

“The honors college is structured in a way that the classes are small, I’m able to interact one on one with my professors, and I’ve been able to make friends with students with the same drive and determination to be successful at LSU and beyond.”

Brasseaux also wanted to confirm that LSU could offer the type of world-class education that Yale is known for. LSU, like Yale, has an “R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" designation from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. This means LSU conferred a competitive number of research/scholarship doctorates and reports at least $5 million in total research expenditures. But what sealed the deal was getting matched with a job in Dr. Ryoichi Teruyama’s lab, where Brasseaux is able to use LSU’s President’s Student Aide program to conduct research even as a first semester freshman. “The honors college curriculum encourages students to study abroad, participate in undergraduate research, and pursue passions and projects outside of the classroom, which, in conjunction with the ability to connect with my family and culture, made LSU and the Ogden Honors College the right choice for me.”

As a biological sciences major in LSU’s College of Science hoping to attend medical school someday, Brasseaux is researching oxytocin receptors expressing neurons in the brain. “I had only worked there for a couple days and I was already taking samples of brain sections from the mice. I was not expecting to dive in like that, but it has been such a cool experience,” said Brasseaux.

“Choosing the Ogden Honors College at LSU is, without question, the best decision Ani has made across her academic career. Accessibility ultimately informed her decision: intimate and meaningful accessibility to faculty and access to deep cultural experiences made LSU the perfect choice,” said her parents Ryan and Jessika Brasseaux.

Dean Earle still seems to be savoring his recruiting victory over that other university in New Haven. “I knew we had a good chance at recruiting Ani,” he said, “but I wasn’t sure she’d come until she booked a visit. That’s usually when I know a student is serious - and the more we get prospective students on our beautiful campus, attending an honors seminar, meeting our students…the better chance we have to recruit,” he said. “And when she asked if it would be possible to attend a Tigers baseball game in Alex Box stadium during her visit, well, I had a pretty good feeling that would seal the deal.”

Ani (right) showing a fellow student how to Cajun two-step

LSU STUDENT HEALTH CENTER AND THE OGDEN HONORS COLLEGE NOW OFFERING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ON SITE, IN FRENCH HOUSE

The LSU Student Health Center and the LSU Ogden Honors College have partnered on a new mental health initiative, providing students with access to a mental health professional in the French House.

“Our honors students are academic superstars, but it’s also clear that many of them are struggling: anxiety, depression, eating and sleep disorders – not to mention some full-scale crises,” said Dean Jonathan Earle. “This has been a goal of mine since before the pandemic: offering quality, on-site, embedded therapy in the French House. Now it’s up to the students to take advantage of it.”

Julie Hupperich, executive director of the LSU Student Health Center, explained how colleges and universities across the country are acknowledging the growing importance of mental health services on student wellness, retention, and success.

“We are excited to be able to collaborate with the Honors College to invest in one of our priority initiatives, mental health support. We’re fortunate that more students are now willing to seek support – and this initiative is an effort to make it more accessible and convenient.”

Honors students can schedule appointments by calling Mental Health Service, Student Health Center at (225) 578-8774 and specifying to schedule with the Honors College therapist Julie Lorio, LCSW. In addition, all students have access to same-day, walk-in appointments at the Student Health Center.

Lorio joined the Student Health Center and Ogden Honors College teams in January 2023 as an embedded mental health therapist who provides individual therapy services for Honors students and others. She earned both her Bachelor of Science in psychology and her Master of Social Work from LSU.

“I am thrilled to return to LSU in this capacity to assist students and promote healthy emotional wellbeing. I hope this idea of having therapists embedded in the department becomes popular across campus, and even nationally, as we seek to address the mental health crisis on college campuses,” Lorio said.

Beyond individual therapy, Lorio will also be offering a series of Emotional Wisdom Seminars in this semester to help students learn about how to cope with stress and anxiety, emotional resilience and challenging negative thought patterns. She will also partner with student groups like the Ogden Honors College Council to showcase the new initiative.

“We hope this new resource will encourage Honors students to prioritize taking care of themselves and their mental health as well as help streamline and reduce appointment wait times for the mental health services offered at the Student Health Center,” said Ogden Honors College Council President Tiffany Dang.

New mental health office in the French House

Julie Lorio, LCSW

OGDEN HONORS COLLEGE ALUMNUS M.O.

WALSH’S BOOK ‘THE BIG DOOR PRIZE’ OPTIONED FOR TV, SEASON ONE STREAMING ON APPLETV+

Season 1 of The Big Door Prize is now streaming on AppleTV+. The man behind the storyline is author, Baton Rouge native, and Ogden Honors College alumnus M.O. Walsh. Walsh’s novel The Big Door Prize was optioned and produced for television shortly after it was published in 2020.

In the book, a mysterious machine appears in a grocery store in the fictional town of Deerfield, Louisiana. The machine purports to reveal its user’s destiny, causing residents to make drastic decisions like quitting jobs, rethinking relationships and questioning long-held beliefs. The story centers around a married couple, who’ve been together for about 15 years, love each other very much, but get very different readouts from this machine. “I don’t want to give too much away, but most of the book is them trying to figure out how they’re going to manage these new dreams in a comedic way,” said Walsh. “It’s a much more lighthearted and humorous novel than my last book, but it also has some dark stuff in it, too, because that’s how life is. There’s going to be sadness and secrets.”

“When I was at LSU, I had an instructor named Matt Clark who was so enthusiastic and really believed that making stuff up can make people’s lives better and change the world. So, I really wanted the book to be funny, page-turning, mysterious, and helpful in a way and I think that comes through in the series as well,” Walsh explains.

Reflecting on his Honors experience Walsh recalls, “being sort of surprised that I was accepted into the Honors College. I feel like it had to have been some sort of bookkeeping mistake, but yeah, I really enjoyed it. I loved my whole Honors experience, being able to meet other people who were really smart and taking their academics to another level. My friends were much more into the social part of LSU, which is also fun, but being able to sneak over there [to the Honors College] and experience diverse people and perspectives, that was the best. I felt like I was going to two different colleges at once.”

Since graduating, Walsh’s fiction and essays have appeared in the New York Times, The Guardian, The Paris Review, The Southern Review, Oxford American, Best New American Voices, and many others. He is currently the Director of the Creative Writing Workshop at The University of New Orleans.

His best advice to his students or any aspiring writers is to “stick with it and ask yourself why you are doing it. If you’re doing it because you want to be a famous writer, that’s not a good reason because that won’t sustain you. There’s too many years of rejection for that to sustain you. The way that you know you’re doing the right thing is if you feel your best when you’re writing. In other words, you don’t feel good because you’ve written something and someone told you it’s good. You feel your best when you’re actually working.”

M.O. Walsh (left) with actor Chris O’Dowd (right)

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Louisiana State University

Baton Rouge, LA 70803

honors.lsu.edu

Phone: (225) 578-8831

Email: honors@lsu.edu

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From the nearly 100 naming opportunities on the Honors campus, to the student emergency support fund, there are plenty of ways that you can make a difference in the lives of our students.

For more information, contact Sofia at suijttenboogaard@lsufoundation.org.