College Salutes the Class of 2017

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College of Science 2017 University Medalists.Photo by the LSU College of Science

LSU Awards Record Number of Degrees

Commencement 2017 marked a record-breaking year for the university as LSU graduated its largest and most diverse class. The celebration began with the university's main ceremony at 8 a.m. followed by 11 diploma ceremonies including the College of Science ceremony at 5 p.m. in Maddox Fieldhouse. More than 350 undergraduate and graduate students received degrees from the College of Science contributing to 4,163 degrees awarded, which set a record of 6,562 degrees awarded during an academic year.

LSU alumnus and U.S. Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy served as the keynote speaker for the ceremony. Click here to listen to Senator Cassidy’s advice to our newest graduates.

The Class of 2017 included 24 university medalists, students graduating with the high grade point averages, and 117 graduating with Latin honors. The class also included a graduate commissioned as an Ensign in the United States Navy and three recognized in the 2017 Class of the Tiger Twelve, which acknowledges students who hold themselves to the highest standards of academic, personal and social integrity.

Our graduates come from seven countries, 21 states and 34 parishes within Louisiana and are equally divided as far as gender with 50 percent of the graduates men and 50 percent women. A list of the May 2017 graduates is below.

 

LSU College of Science  |  May 2017 Graduates

 

MASTER OF SCIENCE CANDIDATES

The graduates listed below are receiving the Master of Science degree in their respective disciplines. Students who completed a thesis option are listed with their departmental advisor.

 

Charlotte Dibrell Bauer, Natural Sciences

 

Seth Jacob Camp, Physics

Advisor: Professor Mette B. Gaarde

Resonant Interactions in Strong Field Laser Physics

 

Christopher Phillip Cericola, Mathematics

 

Jeffrey Covington, Biological Sciences 

Advisors: Professors Jacqueline Stephens and Eric Ravussin

The Effects of Aerobic Exercise and Lipolytic Stimulation on Skeletal Muscle and Adipose Expression of Perilipin 3 (PLIN3) in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes and Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

 

Lauren Emily Cowie, Mathematics

 

Matthew DeCesare, Geology 

Advisor: Professor Philip Bart 

How, why and when did the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Retreat in the Ross Sea Since the Last Glacial Maximum Using Foraminiferal and Porewater Geochemistry

 

Steve Matthew Deese, Chemistry 

Advisor: Professor Jayne Garno 

Studies of the Properties of Designed Nanoparticles Using Atomic Force Microscopy

 

Siddieg Omer Elsiddieg, Chemistry

Advisor: Professor Andrew W. Maverick 

Preparation and Properties of Pyridazine-aldoxime and beta-Retoenamine Metal Complexes

 

Richard Alexander Frnka, Mathematics

Advisor: Professor Karl Mahlburg

Asymptotic Formulae for Restricted Unimodal Sequences

 

James Frye, Mathematics

 

Shana Ballard Garrett, Biological Sciences 

Advisor: Professor Gregg Pettis

A Molecular Investigation of Biofilm and Polysaccharide Phase Variation in Marine Vibrio spp.

 

Mitchell Clifford Gregory, Geology

 

Kevin Gryger, Geology

 

Zachary Lane Highland, Chemistry 

Advisor: Professor Jayne C. Garno

Atomic Force Microscopy Studies of Protein Nanopatterns and Gold Thin Films

 

Andrew Robert Holmes, Mathematics

Advisor: Professor Patrick Gilmer 

On the Skein Theory of 0-framed Surgery Along the Trefoil Knot

 

Kyle Devin Istvan, Mathematics 

Advisor: Professor Oliver Dasbach

Manifestations of Symmetry in Polynomial Knot and Link Invariants

 

Kyle Christopher Joerres, Physics

 

Tara N. Jonell, Geology 

Advisor: Professor Peter D. Clift 

Quaternary River Erosion Provenance and Climate Variability in NW Himalaya and Vietnam

 

Claire Rochelle Jones, Geology

 

Kundan Vaman Kadam, Physics 

Advisor: Professor Geoffrey C. Clayton

Numerical Simulations of Mass Transfer in Close and Contact Binaries Using Bipolytropes

 

Spencer Ellis Kennon, Mathematics

 

Alaina Kneiling, Natural Sciences

 

Nerissa Abigail Lewis, Chemistry

Advisor: Professor Luigi Marzilli

N-Donor Ligands as Potential Linkers for Bioconjugation

 

Jianbo Ma, Chemistry

 

Surabhi Maheshwari, Biological Sciences

Advisor: Professor Michal Brylinski

Structure-Based Prediction of Protein-Protein Interaction Networks Across Proteomes

 

Bryce Allen Mathis, Geology

 

Abigail Arielle Maxwell, Geology

 

Austin James McGlannan, Geology

 

Qianli Meng, Chemistry

Advisor: Professor Graca Vicente

Design Synthesis Characterization and Evaluation of Near Infrared BODIPY Dyes for Various Applications

 

Conrad  Wilson  Moore, Physics

Advisor: Professor Mark Jarrell

Transfer Matrix Method and Multifractal Study of Disordered Superconducting and Non-Superconducting Systems

 

Martial James Morrison, Geology

 

Marshall Douglas Moulis, Chemistry

Advisor: Professor George Stanley 

Hydroformylation and Aldehyde-Water Shift Catalysis by Dirhodium Tetraphosphine Complexes

 

Meg O’Connor, Geology

 

Elizabeth Akinyi Okoth, Chemistry

Advisor: Professor Graca Vicente

Synthesis Characterization and Biological Evaluation of Monoisomeric Zinc Phthalocyanines for Imaging and Photodynamic Therapy

 

Elizabeth Dalton Olson, Geology

 

Shashika Petta Mestrige, Mathematics

 

Rashanique Deondria Quarels, Chemistry

Advisor: Professor Justin Ragains 

Applications of Visible Light Photocataylsis for the Formation of Organic Thin Fims on Au(111) Surfaces and the Development of Bronsted Acid-catalyzed O-glycosylations Using Thioglycosides

 

David Edward Rau, Geology

 

Mohammad Saghayezhian, Physics 

Advisors: Professors E. W. Plummer and Jiandi Zhang

Manipulating Physical Properties of Complex Materials by Processing

 

Lucius Traylor Schoenbaum, Mathematics

Advisor: Professor Daniel S. Sage

Towards Theory and Applications of Generalized Categories in Areas of Type Theory and Categorical Logic

 

Glenn F. Seeholzer, Biological Sciences

Advisor: Professor Robb T. Brumfield 

Patterns of Diversification in the Neotropical Bird Radiation Furnuriidae

 

Elizabeth F. Sutton, Biological Sciences 

Advisor: Professor Leanne Redman 

Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 is a Novel Protein Sensor in Pregnancy

 

Lokendra Singh Thakur, Mathematics 

Advisor: Professor Robert Lipton

Reduced Order Models for Beam-Wave Interaction in High Power Microwave Sources

 

Michael Perrin TullierChemistry

Advisor: Professor John A. Pojman

Thiol-Acrylate Polymerization Kinetics and Applications in Microfluidics

 

Marissa Beth Walker, Physics 

Advisor: Professor Gabriela Gonzales

The Effects of Instrumental Noise on Searches for Generic Transient Gravitational Waves in Advanced LIGO

 

Chen Wang, Biochemistry 

Advisor: Professor Bing Hao Luo 

The Functional and Structural Studies of a Bacterial Ice Binding Protein

 

Trudy Lynn Watkins, Geology

 

Christopher Michael Wray, Geology

 

Kyle Zulpo, Natural Sciences

 

 

UNIVERSITY MEDALISTS

The University Medal for “Highest Academic Achievement” is awarded at each commencement to undergraduate students graduating with the highest grade point average. The students listed below have maintained a 4.0 GPA.

 

Zachary Aguilar
Biological Sciences

Preston Bivona
Biological Sciences

Sarah Bond
Biological Sciences

Harley Bordelon
Biological Sciences

Morgan Brown
Biological Sciences

Hannah Bunch
Biochemistry

Colleen Cecola
Biological Sciences

Nicole Dominique
Microbiology

Elizabeth Forgey
Biological Sciences

Ryan Guedry
Biological Sciences

Sarah Hahn
Chemistry
Biochemistry

Elizabeth Heinen
Biological Sciences

Lena Kawji
Biochemistry

Simon Lorenzo
Physics

Carver Montgomery
Biological Sciences

Christopher Peck
Biological Sciences

Camille Prejean
Biological Sciences

Ryan Riley
Biological Sciences

Victoria Robert
Biological Sciences

Todd Veale
Microbiology

William Wall
Biological Sciences

Angela Yoon
Biological Sciences

 

COLLEGE HONORS & UPPER DIVISION HONORS

 The students listed below have distinguished themselves by completing either College Honors or Upper Division Honors.

 College Honors students earn a minimum of 32 semester hours of honors courses and complete research and a senior thesis under the direction of a faculty advisor. Upper Division Honors students earn a minimum of 12 semester hours of honors courses as upperclassmen and complete research and a senior thesis under the direction of a faculty advisor.

 

Sarah Elizabeth Bond

Biological Sciences

Dr. Grover Waldrop

 

Sarah Alyssa Brantley

Biological Sciences

Dr. Mark Batzer

 

Ashley Michelle Curran

Biochemistry

Dr. Grover Waldrop

 

Joshua David Edwards

Microbiology

Dr. Marcia Newcomber

 

Katherine Stewart Henry

Biological Sciences

Dr. Gary King

 

John Christian Johnson

Biochemistry

Dr. Maheshi Dassanayake

 

Nikka Yu Khorsandi

Biological Sciences

Dr. Evanna Gleason

 

Blake Peter Kruger

Chemistry

Dr. Louis Haber

 

Simon Gabriel Lorenzo

Physics

Dr. Jonathan Dowling

 

Taylor Lynne Millar

Biological Sciences

Dr. Jacqueline Stephens

 

George Karl Owen

Mathematics

Dr. Susanne Brenner

 

Camille Inez Prejean

Biological Sciences

Dr. James Moroney

 

Jordan Skye Renschler

Biological Sciences

Dr. Evanna Gleason

 

Emily Ann Ribando-Gros

Mathematics

Dr. Peter Wolenski

 

Joshua Blake Schwartzenburg

Biological Sciences

Dr. James Moroney

 

Irene Vargas-Salazar

Physics

Dr. Bradley Schaefer

 

Angela Yoon

Biological Sciences

Dr. Morgan Kelly

 

 

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE CANDIDATES

 

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 

Biochemistry

Margaret Grace Agosta SRT

Scott Palmer Beckman

Kaitlyn Marie Bland

Bryce Joseph Bonin

James Robert Briscoe

Hannah Elizabeth Bunch Honors

Bradford Wells Calvit

Taylor Leigh Coomes

Ashley Michelle Curran Honors

Jewel Marie Datri Honors

Anthony Ramon Davila (Physics) (Interdisciplinary Studies)

Anthony James Domma (Microbiology), CxC

Trelane Maurice Dunn

Madelinn Rose Fink Honors

Anna-Claire Fontenot Honors

Tara Katherine Gilliland Honors

Emily Anne Hebert Honors

Sydney Marie Hodgeson Honors

John Christian Johnson Honors

Lena Kawji Honors

Jacob Kenneth Meariman Honors, (Philosophy)

Peyton William Moore

Kara Caitlyn Plasko

Zachary Joseph Richard Honors

Bryce Joseph Rushing Honors

Mary Claire Tanner Honors

Alex Gerard Thibodeaux Honors

Daniel Enrique Vilchez

Jenney Sonehuang Vongprathoum Honors

Alysse Nicole Wiggins

Conner James Willis

Alexandra Louise Wursteisen

Zhongpan Zheng Honors

 

Biological Sciences

Miranda Marie Aasen

Olivia Muriel Adams

Richard Lewis Adams III

Zachary Reed Aguilar Honors, (General Business)

Emily Ann Alimia

Tarini Alapati (Liberal Arts)

Alexandra Ildiko Anderson

Nicholas Lawrence Anzalone

Jenna Marie Baker

Ashley Angeli Barras Honors

Candice Rae Barwick Foster

Morgan Emily Baudoin Honors

Hunter Lawrence Bergeron

Caroline Marcel Bilbe Honors

Preston Garrett Bivona Honors

Nicholas Joseph Bologna

Sarah Elizabeth Bond Honors

Abigail Nicole Booker

Felix Schumann Bopp

Harley James Bordelon Honors

Sarah Elizabeth Bourgeois Honors

Mata March Boutvonnoan

Casey Joshua Bradshaw

Sarah Alyssa Brantley Honors

John Michael Brown Honors

Morgan Louise Brown Honors

Treasure Ja’Leisha Zhané Brown 

Caroline Elizabeth Buckley

Quynh Nhi Pham Cao

Mitchel Joseph Capella Honors

Joseph Ellis Caravella

Jeffrey Clay Carroll Jr.

Haley Victoria Cashio

Sasha Anne Castro

Soray Nicole Castro

Colleen Frances Cecola Honors

Alicia Corine Claros

Katie Elizabeth Clingan

Evan Noel Courville (Mechanical Engineering)

Ashlyn Marie Croy

Emily Elizabeth Crutcher

Peter DeVane Currier

Taylor Elizabeth Curry Honors

Julia Elyse Daigle

Megan Tri Dang

Claire Elizabeth Davis

Riana Leniece Davis

Charles Edward deBoisblanc CxC

Madeleine Victoria Dehner Honors

Kayleigh Marie Denny Honors

Madison Renee DeSalvo Honors

Chase Michael Doiron

Clay Ryan Doremus

Ryan Patrick Downey Honors

Emily Wynn Downs

Erin Tryvell Drye

Rachelle Elizabeth Drygalla

Sarah Ford Dugal

Matthew Joseph Espinosa

Cole Harry Evensky

Michael Lee Falba

Austin Francis Falcon

Austin Obrien Falloon

Sameer Farhud

Michael Emmett Fitzpatrick

Shannon Elaine Fleming

Elizabeth Diehl Forgey Honors

Brittany D’Anna Frazier

Cydney Maret Free

Elise Marie Frost

Stanley Melchor Capulong Fuentes (Philosophy)

Alaina Rae Gauthier

Megan Louise Glennon Honors

Amanda L. Granier Honors

Jaci E. Gravois

Julie Josephine Griffin

Kaylee Lenae Gross

Ryan David Guedry Honors

Alana Elizabeth Guillory

Caroline Frances Harbison

Adam Fredrick Hebert

Aleshia Lexus Hector Honors, CxC, (Chemical Engineering)

Elizabeth Nicole Heinen Honors

Ryan Joseph Helm Honors

Taylor Elise Heltz Honors

Katherine Stewart Henry

Nicholas Wayne Heyse

John Hoang Honors

Krystal Ngoc Hoang

Ryan Tien-Dung Hoang Honors

April Elizabeth Hocke Honors

Stephen Todd Hollingsworth Honors

Alice Huang Military

Patrick James Huettemann

Patrick Ross Ingraffia Honors

Broderick Dean Jameson

Brianna Rae Jasso Honors

Christian Warren Johnson

Kara Kelly Johnson Honors

Jonathan Michael Joseph Jr. Honors

Anthony J. Kain III

Samantha Leigh Keating

Nikka Yu Khorsandi Honors, CxC

Logan Christopher Kinamore Honors, SRT

Anawin Tun Kitpowsong Honors

Raymond Carl Kleefisch III Honors

Alexandre Nicolaas-Ruffin Knijn (Computer Science)

Jacob Zachery Kraft

Austin Michael D’Armond Labbe Honors

Cameron Andre LaFleur Honors

Alexus Nichol Landry

Sydnie Lyn Landry

Jordan Keith Lange

Chelsea Marie Langford Honors

Kylie Mcclellan Latson

Alexa Perri Lawson

Jason Báo Khanh Le

Jennifer Le Honors, (Anthropology)

Trey Michael Leiva

Taylor James Lemoine Honors

Andrew Mark Leto

Jun Jie Li Honors

Patricia Shu Ting Li Honors

Travis John Lindsey Honors

Santierra Imaani Lockhart

Ashley Elizabeth Loga

Najib Mahmud

Thomas Demie Mainieri

Sreettarsha Mandava

Sarah Elizabeth Mazier

Rachel Elisabeth Mccarthy

Ashlyn Eliana-Marie McCullough

Kain Alan McGee

Mandie Marie Melancon Honors

Alexis Nawal Menasco Honors

Brielle Marie Miles

Madeline Valentine Miley

Taylor Lynne Millar Honors

Benjamin Cole Miller

Ami Vijay Modi

Callan Elizabeth Molle

Carver Odom Montgomery Honors

Fernanda Nicole Morales

Errol Joseph Morgan III

Margaret Craft Morrison

Aiswarya Suresh Nair

Adam Thach Nguyen

Tammy Tram Anh Nguyen

Vy-Vien Vivian Nguyen

Emily Marie Noel

Madison Claire North

Chiamaka Christine Okeke Honors

Samantha Claire Olivero

Glynn Auburn O’Neill Honors

Katelyn Danielle Parker

Stephen Joseph Parker

Alisha Pinakin Patel

Bhavin Vinodbhai Patel

Kishan Mukesh Patel

James Grant Pearson Honors

William Christopher Pearson

Christopher Paul Peck Honors

William E. Pemu

Juan Carlos Pena

Thang Hong Phan (Kinesiology)

Camille Inez Prejean Honors

Wybra Joseph Price III

Alvin J. Rattle Honors

Anne Adair Reed

Jordan Skye Renschler Honors

Ryan Patrick Riley Honors

Madison Marguerite Robert Honors, (Kinesiology)

Victoria Hayes Robert Honors

Judston Walker Robinson Honors

Rachel Elizabeth Rovira Honors

Alixandra Victoria Ryan

Gloriana Jenae Sanders

Karmyodh Singh Sandhu

Calia Marie Schexnayder

John Christopher Schmidt Jr.

Joshua Blake Schwartzenburg Honors

Jessica Elaine Seay Honors

Edward Anthony Senules III

Justin Tyler Serrett

Madeline Christine Shannon Honors

Areen Sittichot

Céline Victoria Snow

Marcus Roy Soileau Honors

Yahor Aleksandrovich Sukharutski Honors

Lauren Elizabeth Sutton

Anna C. Suydam

Kimberly Ann Szuszka

Hunter Leigh Tadlock

Taylor Alaine Tadlock

Alexa Marie Tafaro Honors

Rebecca Phillips Tatum

Taylor Anthony Tebbe

Hayley Marie Theriot

Brook Teresa Thibodeaux Honors

Braden George Thomas Honors

Jonathan Chase Toland

Kassidy Marie Traigle

Tri Tran

Vicki Duyen Tran

Brennan William Treadway

Cody James Trosclair

Diana Ngan Uong

Nathaniel Allen Van Horn Honors

Karl Matthew Vanbergen Honors

Emily Louise Waddick Honors

Reena Divya Wadhwa Honors

Bailey Adams Walker Honors

William Ashton Wall Honors

Terray Renell Warren

Dustin Michael Weidert

Rakeal Lashay Williamson CxC

Angela Yoon Honors

Hannah Melise Zaunbrecher

Ziying Zhao

 

Microbiology

Kelly Devon Bowers Military

Diana Ali Chehab Honors

Nicole Ann Dominique Honors, (English)

Joshua David Edwards (Chemistry), CxC

Danica Evangelista Garcia

Tyler James Houston Honors

Justin Christopher King

Victoria Lyn Lassiegne Honors

Victoria Marie Lulich Honors, SRT

Morgan Ellise Marino

John Evan Morse Honors

Harel Glen Schwartzberg Honors

Todd Christian Veale Honors

Vidal Adrian Villela Honors

Zachary Thomas Wigger

 

 

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

Mary Catherine Balhoff

Taylor Alexis Bayam (Biology)

Alana Brooke Butterfield

Benjamin Edward Cooper

Katelon Elizabeth Daigle

Elora Catherine Doskey (Biology) (Biochemistry), SRT

Taylor Dunne

Mark James Emerson

Wyatt Mcclintock Ferguson

Austin Thrasher Firesheets

Carrie Estelle Garrison

Sarah Annette Hahn Honors, (Biochemistry)

Blake Peter Kruger CxC

Ross Paul Mayet (Geology)

Rebecca Irene Moore

Sarah Marie Nearing

Adam Adras Prevot Honors

Taylor Alan Varner

Nicholas Anthony Viverito

Tarolyn Jean Williams

Kaylee Theresa Woodard Honors

 

DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY & GEOPHYSICS

Tristan Sean Collins

Peter Ashton Farmer

Abigayle Cecilia Hodges

Andrew Mark Jacobus SRT

Ryan Matthew Riggs Honors, SRT

Hunter Stephen Songy Honors, SRT

Conner Anthony Spano

Joel Parker Spansel Honors, SRT

Michael Vincent Vetter

Jessica Julia Villers

 

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS

Jeremy Cabrido Alcanzare (Chemical Engineering)

Aaron Nolan Angel

Adria Joelle Broussard

Kathryn M. Cahalan

Andrew Douglas Crespo

Jacob Thomas Cruzan Honors

Brandon Louis Dellucky

Edmond Raymond Eberle Honors

Aaron Michael Finley

Trevor Gilmore

Amy Claire Gray

Mei Nan He

John Patrick Hogan

Jay Dee Hunt IV

Diego Bartolomé Kaptain

Jennifer Allison Kennedy

Kimberly Lynne Key Honors

Chase Austin Andrew Livingston

Ryan Christopher Manuel

Macy Christine Mashaw

Chandler Brent McArthur (Liberal Arts)

Courtney Elizabeth Moore

Allyson Maureen Morthland

John Everett Moser Honors, (Computer Science)

Billy Jack Musgraves

George Karl Owen

Joshua Reed Ramirez

Emily Ann Ribando-Gros Honors, (Computer Science)

Ashley Lanier Welborn Honors

Joseph David Wilkerson

Patrick Aaron Woolworth

Kaijun Ye

Haiyu Zheng Honors

 

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY

Daniel Joseph DiMarco

Tyler Louis Herrmann

William Craig Jones

Sean Michael Laughlin

Lucas Chad Lavoie Honors, SRT

Simón Gabriel Lorenzo Honors, SRT

Brandon Michael Luckett Honors

Dylan Beckley Ottea Honors

Patrick Lee Quebedeaux Honors

Irene Vargas-Salazar

Logan Thomas Woolsey