Securing Louisiana's
Future
Scholarship First Agenda
LSU's fierce drive for excellence is rooted in our mission to impact and serve Louisiana—providing pathways to higher learning, addressing critical problems through ground-breaking research and discovery, and bettering the lives of citizens in every parish.
Louisiana is at the center of many of our nation’s core challenges and opportunities because of our geography, culture, and economy. LSU— through the collaborative teamwork of all of our campuses—will create solutions essential to the future of our state and nation.
Our vision is aspirational, and we embrace the responsibility of ascending to our potential. In service to our state, LSU is committed to achieving excellence in all areas—for our students’ success and to elevate Louisiana for the benefit of all.
Priorities
LSU aspires to be among the Top 50 research universities in the United States, a lofty goal that is both within our reach and crucial in fulfilling our mission to solve Louisiana’s most intractable problems and, in turn, benefit the entire world. Achieving this vision will require all of us working together with a unified, singular purpose, truly exemplifying our mission to Build Teams That Win.
LSU will merge traditional practices in agriculture with advancing technology and
modern tools to improve outcomes for Louisiana farmers, ensure food security for every
person in our state, and establish LSU AgCenter and Agricultural College as the leading
providers of agricultural innovation and education for the nation.
See the Agriculture Priority in action.
Every endeavor we undertake is contingent upon our health. With eight institutions
spanning Louisiana and all levels of higher education and research, LSU will help
meet the challenge of improving the state’s health outcomes head-on. We will bring
together top talent and resources, ranging from clinical research to artificial intelligence.
See the Biomedical Priority in action.
Consistent with our charge as the state’s Sea Grant university, LSU will strengthen
its position as a global leader in collaborative coastal research. We will find solutions
to pressing problems experienced by Louisianans today, with a focus on hurricanes,
flooding, land loss, and sea-level rise. Our resiliency in overcoming these challenges
today will provide a roadmap for global decision-making in the future.
See the Coast Priority in action.
Through bold investment, partnerships, and building on strong platforms, such as our
applied cybersecurity program and proud history of military service, LSU will produce
the leaders and cyber warriors who are essential to protecting our economy, critical
infrastructure, people, and borders. We will reimagine the defense of our future,
by building cybersecurity, ROTC, and technical leadership programs that are the best
of their kind in the United States.
See the Defense Priority in action.
LSU will partner with industry to find new ways to fuel our nation. By building a
research platform for energy resilience, aimed at reducing carbon emissions and reusing
and recycling carbon, we will translate existing resources and expertise into new
opportunities and jobs to power Louisiana and protect the vitality of Louisiana’s
energy industry.
See the Energy Priority in action.
Our Priorities in Action
Federal Grant Bolsters LSU’s Charge to Improve Dementia Care for Louisiana’s Underserved Communities
LSU’s Healthy Aging Research Center, with the help of a five-year, $5 million Health Resources & Services Administration grant, is working to improve the quality of dementia care for underserved communities in Louisiana and Mississippi.
LSU and Tulane are leading the Mississippi River Delta Transition Initiative to chart a new course for the future of the region where the Mississippi River meets the Gulf of Mexico, an area both crucial to commerce and among the most vulnerable in the world.
Regular checkups and quick access to medical centers are key for people undergoing cancer treatment. But travel distance and other barriers can impact patient outcomes in some underserved areas in Louisiana.
Infancy is the most vulnerable time of life. Sibei Xia of LSU’s Department of Textiles, Apparel Design, and Merchandising is leading pioneering research aimed at alleviating the stress of new parents through wearable technology that could redefine infant care.
Sean Courtney Joins LSU as Associate Vice President for Research Compliance, Integrity and Analytics
Courtney brings his “zest for regulatory affairs” to “ensure trustworthy scientific outcomes” directly from Purdue University, where he’s served as senior compliance officer since 2019 after an extensive career in cancer research.
Last week, LSU cybersecurity graduate student George Buras from Baton Rouge received a shoutout from the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, for the “Staggering!” impact his work, and the work of other interns, is having on the nation. Here, Buras explains what he’s working on, and why.
From Our Campuses
With a sharp focus on research, extension and teaching, the LSU AgCenter makes advancements that benefit individuals and communities across the globe. The AgCenter, with offices in every parish and 15 research stations across the state, is committed to advancing agriculture in Louisiana. That pledge includes a dedication to the vital work of providing innovative practices and support for the food and fiber sector, while also improving agriculture’s valuable contributions to the state’s economy. The overall mission of the LSU AgCenter is to enhance the quality of life for people through research and educational programs that develop the best use of natural resources, conserve and protect the environment, enhance development of existing and new agricultural and related enterprises, develop human and community resources, and fulfill the acts of authorization and mandates of state and federal legislative bodies. Crop breeding programs are world-renowned, the Healthy Communities program is using novel approaches to improve health outcomes for citizens, and 4-H and FFA youth development programs reach 126,000 youth annually.
Located in the state’s central region of Rapides Parish, LSU of Alexandria (LSUA), is recognized for excellence in undergraduate education, which leads to prominent placement in graduate school or the workforce . Central to this achievement is a commitment to innovation and the development of new and differentiated degree and certificate programs . As Louisiana’s public liberal arts institution, LSUA emphasizes the education of the whole person and does so with an eye toward the student’s success in achieving long-term professional goals . Highlighted by its new Center for Opportunity, Research, and Experiential Learning, LSUA has ramped up programming in hands-on, high-impact offerings that promote work-ready skills and career exploration.
As the flagship university of the system, LSU A&M is a leading research-intensive university, challenging undergraduate, graduate, and professional students to achieve the highest levels of intellectual and personal development . Designated as a land-, sea-, and space-grant university, the Baton Rouge campus provides critical research support to Louisiana in all areas of science, agriculture, biomedical research, coastal studies, energy, and military defense.
Founded in 1964, Louisiana State University Eunice is the only comprehensive, two-year institution in the LSU System. Located in Acadia Parish, the campus serves more than 3,000 full-time and part-time students in the greater southwest Louisiana area with nearly one-third of its population coming from underrepresented communities. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, LSU Eunice is an open enrollment institution committed to providing a high-quality, high-value education that is both accessible and affordable.
LSU Health New Orleans (LSUHNO), established in 1931, is Louisiana's most comprehensive academic health sciences center, providing integrated teaching, research, patient care and public service functions to its citizens. LSU Health New Orleans’ globally renowned scientists conduct cutting-edge basic, translational, and clinical research—particularly in cancer, neuroscience, alcohol and drug abuse, infectious disease, and cardiovascular disease—to reduce health disparities, address critical medical needs, expand the much-needed health care and public health workforce, and bring novel biomedical innovations to the market for public benefit.
Established in 1965, LSU Health Shreveport (LSUHS) is one of two health sciences centers in the LSU System and home to one of only 155 medical schools in the nation accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). The primary mission of LSUHS is to teach, heal, and discover in order to advance the well-being of the state, region, and beyond. LSU Health Shreveport is home to six research centers, four of which are designated Centers of Research Excellence by the Louisiana Board of Regents, that concentrate on public health care needs of the state and region including cancer, cardiovascular disease, virology, immunology, neuroscience, and addiction.
Opened in 1988, LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center (PBRC) puts science to work for a healthier Louisiana. PBRC is a world leader in obesity, diabetes, and nutrition research. As a scientific trailblazer, our researchers explore the leading edge of medical discovery and have helped change the way the United States and the world eat, exercise, and age by advancing treatments for chronic disease.
Founded in 1967, Louisiana State University Shreveport offers a wide array of nationally accredited undergraduate and graduate degree programs, including a doctoral degree. The university’s mission is to educate a diverse population of graduate and undergraduate students; engage in regional and global thought leadership through community collaboration and service; and innovate to enhance the application of knowledge and intellectual discovery through faculty and student research and creative endeavors.
Each of LSU's eight campuses is contributing to breakthroughs that have extensive effects on the people and industries within Louisiana and around the world.
