The education you received at the Ray P. Authement College of Sciences was about more than a diploma. It equipped you with the curiosity to explore, the skills to investigate, and the determination to transform questions into discoveries. Now, students are walking a similar path you once did and are benefiting from opportunities that donors like you helped to make possible.
As a proud Ragin' Cajun, your achievements since leaving campus continue to inspire today's students. As we look ahead this year, we’re excited to continue building momentum by:
- Planning for a new Interdisciplinary Sciences Building, a collaborative hub where students, faculty, and researchers will work across disciplines to tackle complex scientific challenges and drive innovation.
- Expanding educational pathways to meet evolving workforce needs; including the Data Science certificate, which is now underway, and the new Ph.D. program in Applied Computing and Information Sciences, which welcomed its first students this fall. A new master’s program in Biomedical Science is also in development to prepare graduates for another high-demand field.
Because of donors like you, we are advancing research that changes lives and preparing the next generation of scientific leaders. Our faculty continued to secure substantial external research funding and lead doctoral education, graduating 34 Ph.D. students last year, while strengthening the University’s research enterprise and supporting its pursuit of R1 designation.
The research our students are leading extends far beyond campus and is gaining real-world recognition. Two of our undergraduate students recently received significant accolades and media coverage for their groundbreaking research involving oak trees on campus, made possible by a donor-funded research fund. They discovered that the leaves contain lower carbon isotope ratios than scientists have documented anywhere else in the world, revealing that as atmospheric CO₂ levels rise, plants are chemically recording those changes over time. This has far-reaching implications for how scientists and geologists track modern and long-term environmental change.
"We were just two undergraduates trying to understand why our campus trees looked different in the data. We didn't realize we were contributing to a groundbreaking discovery in climate research. The donor support we received made it possible to follow the question wherever it led, to findings we're still trying to understand. We're grateful to be at a university where that kind of curiosity is fostered.” – Izamary L. & Clinton V.
So much more awaits the College and our students. To continue to be among those who help build what’s next, make a gift today.
With heartfelt thanks and lasting Ragin’ Cajun pride,
Dr. Azmy S. Ackleh
Dean, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences