CC&E Congratulates the Fall Class of 2021!

December 17, 2021

On December 17, the LSU College of the Coast & Environment awarded degrees to 21 graduates of the fall class of 2021. These alumni have worked alongside the largest and the most-accomplished group of coastal and environmental scientists in Louisiana, whose interdisciplinary expertise taught them how to integrate human dimensions with natural sciences.

During their time in our college, this group has gained hands-on experiences that have transcended boundaries in Louisiana’s watershed management, built upon critical research collaborations between Louisiana and Panama, illuminated the more subtle ways that hurricanes contribute to coastal erosion, and even been featured in compelling documentaries. They have learned how the complex interactions of the coast and environment affect lives daily and have a balanced understanding of environmental conservation and the needs of industry.

We congratulate the following graduates and wish them well on their journeys.


Last Name First Name Hometown Degree Dissertation/Thesis
Sapkota Yadav Kavrepalanchok, Nepal PhD, Oceanography & Coastal Sciences Soil Organic Matter Accretion, Complexity, and Degradation in Eroding Coastal Wetlands
Zhao Xiaochen Tanggu District, Tianjin, China PhD, Oceanography & Coastal Sciences Assessing Mangrove Wetland Structure and Function Regulated by Environmental Gradients under Climate Change and Increasing Human Impacts: A Modeling Approach
Cagle Grace Ann New Orleans, LA PhD, Environmental Sciences Responses of wetland soil microbial communities under different anthropogenic disturbance regimes
Lee Alana Rene' Remlap, AL Online Master's, Environmental Sciences  Impacts of Invasive Lionfish (Pterois volitans) on the Gulf of Mexico, Western Atlantic, and Caribbean Sea
Tafelski Jordan T South Bend, IN Online Master's, Environmental Sciences  The Need for Sustainable Management Practices for Inland Fisheries in the United States: A Literature Review
Donaldson Cole Washington DC Online Graduate Certificate in Environmental and Energy Policy  
Shallow Emily Oconto, WI Master's, Oceanography & Coastal Sciences Ontogeny and Resource Use of Invasive Lionfish, Pterios volitans, in Shallow Water Habitats Surrounding Summerland Key
Shribman Zoe Isadore Wellesley, MA Master's, Oceanography & Coastal Sciences Blue Carbon in South Florida's Mangrove: The Role of Large Roots and Necromass
Snow Callie Leanne Magnolia, MS Master's, Oceanography & Coastal Sciences Effects of Freshwater Input on Nutrient Loading, Toxic Cyanobacteria Bloom Development and Cyanotoxin Production in Lake Pontchartrain Estuary, Louisiana
Cobb Megan Homestead, FL Master's, Environmental Sciences; Graduate Certificate in Environmental and Energy Policy Marine Debris, Microplastics, and PBDES: Toxicological Impacts of PBDES in Marine Ecosystems
Poirier Ariel Broussard, LA Master's, Environmental Sciences; Graduate Certificate in Environmental and Energy Policy What Factors are driving the western population decline for the Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)?
Kodavatiganti Yamini New Orleans, LA Master's, Environmental Sciences Impact of socio-economic and hazard characteristics on residential hurricane damage
Lamana Lindsey Port Barre, LA Master's, Environmental Sciences Developing a Watershed-based Plan Evaluation Framework for Socio-ecological Network Analysis in the Upper Pontchartrain Basin
Cilano Sharon Oscar, LA Graduate Certificate in Environmental and Energy Policy  
Downey Kelly M Baton Rouge, LA Bachelor's, Coastal Environmental Science  
Knight Margaret Helena, AL Bachelor's, Coastal Environmental Science  
Mixon Aaron Oneal Springfield, LA Bachelor's, Coastal Environmental Science  
Mixon Rachel K Zachary, LA Bachelor's, Coastal Environmental Science  
Moreno Kelvin  Panama Bachelor's, Coastal Environmental Science  
Nelson Sophia E Johnston, IA Bachelor's, Coastal Environmental Science  
Thomas  Kayla Alise Marrero, LA Bachelor's, Coastal Environmental Science