Rachel Lau Earns 2019 LSU Foundation Staff Outstanding Service Award
From left to right: LSU Interim President Tom Galligan Jr., Rachel Lau, and LSU Vice
President of Agriculture and Dean of the College of Agriculture William B. Richardson.
Photo Credit: LSU
Congratulations to Rachel Lau, one of 13 LSU staff members to earn the 2019 LSU Foundation Staff Outstanding Service Award! The 51st annual award ceremony was held on January 21 in the Lod Cook Alumni Center.
Environmental Sciences Professor Ed Laws nominated Lau for her work as assistant to the chair of the Department of Environmental Sciences within the College of the Coast & Environment, or CC&E.
“You’ve heard the phrase, ‘rising tides raise all boats;’ she is the tide and we are all the boats,” said Laws of Rachel’s work, "She has been a real pleasure to have as a member of our research and education team."
For the past year, Lau has worked as assistant to the chair, but she started at LSU as an AgCenter research associate in 2008. In 2016, she moved to the Department of Environmental Sciences as a research associate working with Dr. Linda Hooper-Bui on disaster ecology research and managing a lab before transitioning to her current position. Her job duties include assisting faculty with purchasing and travel, and she is the student employment partner for the department, in charge of processing student hires.
According to Leah Courville, assistant dean of the college, “In only a year, Rachel was able to learn and excel in her new role so quickly. To be able to serve everyone and the needs of the department with such a high degree of customer service while she was still training is a truly remarkable accomplishment. We are proud to see her shine as a member of our team.”
Lau’s exceptional service elevates CC&E's profile as a global leader in cutting-edge research and education.