Five CC&E Faculty Receive 2020 University Distinguished Faculty Awards

This May, LSU has selected five exceptional faculty members from the College of the Coast & Environment (CC&E) to be recognized for their accomplishments in teaching, research, and service. In addition to finding innovative new ways of educating the coastal environmental workforce, they perform critical research all over the world and are top experts in environmental virology, physical and geological oceanography, ocean modeling, coastal wetlands, and renewable energy research.

According to Sibel Bargu, CC&E’s associate dean of academics, “Out of the hundreds of talented LSU faculty members, it is a great honor for our college to have five exceptional performers recognized for these outstanding accomplishments.”

The 2020 award recipients in the Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences are:

LSU Alumni Association Rising Faculty Research Award: Jennifer Brum, Assistant Professor

Jennifer Brum is one of 10 to receive the Rising Faculty Research Award for pushing the boundaries of knowledge in the emerging field of environmental virology. Her groundbreaking research includes: the first global-scale assessment of marine viral community diversity and structure, the discovery that viruses are one of the main drivers of carbon removal in the ocean, several studies of how viral genes impact bacterial metabolism, the first investigation of proteins in natural virus communities, and a study of how the effects of viruses influence changes in carbon cycling as permafrost thaws due to climate change. Her research has been featured in both Nature and Science.

This award, which honors faculty at the rank of assistant professor for their outstanding scholarship and published research, will allow Brum to “continue to communicate my research to the public and pursue innovative teaching methods such that my career will not only include contributions to understanding how marine viruses shape our planet’s function, but will alter how the public thinks of viruses in the ocean and how students approach science," she said.

 

LSU Alumni Association Rising Faculty Research Award: Jun-Hong Liang, Assistant Professor

Physical oceanographer and ocean modeler Jun-Hong Liang is one of 10 to receive the Rising Faculty Research Award for tackling important emerging research in oceanography. Liang’s research generates computer models that realistically simulate ocean currents and its effect on dissolved and particulate materials such as salts, gases, and sediments. Recently, he began developing improved computer models that track significant marine pollutants such as plastics and spilled oil in the ocean. These models provide a better understanding of processes underlying complicated ocean phenomena. They are also used to derive simple formulas for predicting changes to the marine environment and Earth’s climate.

“My research is motivated by the urgent need to better understand and more accurately predict future changes in marine environments and marine ecosystems in response to changing climate and human activities,” Liang said, “This award is a great honor and encouragement to me. I am lucky to have great colleagues, and I would like to give my thanks to them.”

 

LSU Alumni Association Faculty Excellence Award: Kehui Xu, Associate Professor and Interim Director of the LSU Coastal Studies Institute

Kevin Xu, associate professor and interim director of the LSU Coastal Studies Institute, is one of four awarded by the Alumni Association for faculty excellence. He has been recognized for integrating his research on marsh edge erosion, sediment diversion, marsh creation, and barrier island restoration into his teaching. For example, in OCS/GEOG 4024 he has incorporated a two-day fieldtrip to analyze and compare muddy marshes in Cocodrie, LA to sandy beaches in Port Fourchon and Grand Isle, LA. There, students take a variety of sediment core samples to analyze differences in the environments. Additionally, Xu certified his OCS 4210 class as a Communication-Intensive (C-I) class focusing on spoken and visual skills related to geological oceanography. This is because, according to Xu, effective communication is key to scientific research and teaching.

“The three most important teaching qualities for classes and labs are approachability, enthusiasm and clarity. I make great efforts to show my enthusiasm in teaching, to answer student questions effectively, and to improve communication in the classroom,” Xu said.

 

Kam-biu Liu, George W. Barineau III Professor and chair of the Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences, expressed pride in the accomplishments of his faculty. “I am extremely pleased that three of our faculty members were selected for these campus-wide awards. They excel in research, and they excel in their overall scholastic activities serving their academic and professional communities. I am very proud of their accomplishments,” he said.

The 2020 award recipients in the Department of Environmental Sciences are:

LSU Distinguished Faculty Award: Edward Laws, Professor

Edward Laws is one of five to receive the 2020 LSU Distinguished Faculty Award for his sustained record of excellence in his research. He has a strong desire to share scientific knowledge with the world. Therefore, his research is highly synergistic, whether co-authoring publications with his colleagues in CC&E or with researchers as far away as China. During his time at LSU, he published the fourth edition of his classic reference book, “Aquatic Pollution,” which has been translated into Japanese and Chinese and is read by students, environmental researchers, and oceanographers around the globe.

Laws attributes his success to the collaborative climate fostered in CC&E, saying: “The students are clearly benefitting from their interactions with CC&E faculty both in the classroom and in research activities. And the faculty are benefitting from their interactions with one another as well as with some excellent graduate and undergraduate students.”

 

Tiger Athletic Foundation President’s Award: Brian Snyder, Assistant Professor

Assistant Professor Brian Snyder is one of four LSU faculty recognized by the LSU Tiger Athletic Foundation for his extraordinary classroom teaching as demonstrated by his scholarly approach to teaching and learning. Snyder follows a simple but effective philosophy—that the passion and excitement of the teacher is what generates passion and excitement among the students. While they may not remember the finer points of his classes 10 or 20 years later, he believes that if he can encourage their effort and passion for his subject, then they will carry that spirit of inquiry with them forever.

According to Snyder, “Students will forget facts but not emotions, so I try to make them enjoy learning and get excited about the material so that they become lifelong learners.”

Kevin Armbrust, Claiborne Chair of Environmental Toxicology and chair of the Department of Environmental Sciences, said, “We are proud of Ed and Brian and ecstatic that the university has recognized their achievements.”