Three College of Science Faculty Honored with NSF CAREER Awards

Three LSU College of Science faculty members—Amy Xu, Sviatoslav Baranets, and Nick Mason—have been awarded the National Science Foundation’s prestigious CAREER Award. This award supports early-career faculty with the potential to serve as academic role models and lead advancements in research and education. NSF’s most competitive grant for junior faculty, the CAREER Program provides five years of funding to establish a strong foundation for a lifetime of leadership, furthering LSU’s mission of innovation and scientific excellence.

Amy Xu

Amy Xu, assistant professor in the LSU Department of Chemistry, focuses on the interactions between proteins and complex sugars within the densely packed environments of plant cells. Her research centers on liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), a process that influences how molecular assemblies organize without membranes. Understanding how LLPS affects key biological functions—such as cell wall expansion and pollen formation—could reshape our knowledge of how plants grow and respond to their environments.

To simulate realistic cellular conditions, Xu’s team uses macromolecular crowding agents and a suite of advanced analytical techniques, including small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering (SAXS/SANS), calorimetry, fluorescence imaging, and electron microscopy. These tools allow them to probe the structure and behavior of protein-sugar complexes at multiple scales. The project’s ultimate goal is to develop predictive models that explain how plants respond to environmental stressors like drought and extreme temperatures, with the broader aim of enhancing crop resilience and advancing sustainable agriculture.

In addition to her research, Xu’s project emphasizes student training in advanced biophysical techniques, providing young scientists with opportunities to develop cutting-edge skills. A graduate of the University of Auckland, Xu completed postdoctoral research at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the National Institute of Standards and Technology/University of Maryland before joining LSU in 2020.

Sviatoslav Baranets

Sviatoslav Baranets, assistant professor in the LSU Department of Chemistry, is focused on developing new semiconducting materials for thermoelectric applications. His work addresses global energy challenges by exploring innovative ways to convert waste heat into electricity, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional energy sources. Baranets’ project investigates heteroanionic oxypnictides—compounds that incorporate multiple anionic species into their crystal structures—enabling fine-tuning of the critical properties needed for efficient thermoelectric materials. By combining solid-state synthesis, high-throughput computational discovery, and electronic structure analysis, his team aims to design advanced semiconductors with the ideal balance of electrical conductivity, thermal insulation, and efficiency for mid- and high-temperature thermoelectric applications.

As part of his commitment to STEM education, Dr. Baranets will provide students with hands-on training in experimental and computational methods. He also plans to incorporate virtual reality tools, lead workshops for high school teachers, and support the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad to inspire future scientists to address global energy challenges.

Baranets joined the LSU Department of Chemistry in fall 2022. He earned his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in chemistry from Vinnytsia State Pedagogical University and completed his Ph.D. at the Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry in Kyiv, Ukraine. Before coming to LSU, he was a visiting researcher at Technische Universität Dresden in Germany and a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Delaware.

Nick Mason