LSU OGDEN HONORS COLLEGE STUDENTS NAMED ASTRONAUT SCHOLARS BY THE ASTRONAUT SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION

The Goldwater Scholarship is awarded annually to outstanding students who demonstrate exceptional potential for careers in scientific research.

LSU senior Layla Harmon has dedicated her college career to advocacy, from leading student organizations to expanding access to emergency contraception. This story highlights Harmon’s journey, her impact on campus, and the role of the Honors College in fostering student-led change.

The Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College at LSU has selected Dr. Darius Spieth of the College of Art and Design as the 2024-25 Erich and Lea Sternberg Honors Professor. Established by Lea Sternberg in 1996, the professorship is the highest award conferred to faculty by the Ogden Honors College.

The Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Summer Enrichment Program is a six-week summer program designed to provide undergraduate students with a deeper appreciation of current issues and trends in international affairs, a greater understanding of career opportunities in international affairs, and the enhanced knowledge and skills to pursue such careers.

Presented by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF), the scholarship provides up to $15,000 to promising scholars while commemorating the legacy of America’s Mercury 7 astronauts—each of whom sponsored and fundraised to establish the current scholarship program. This year ASF awarded 71 scholarships to students from 48 different universities across the nation.

The English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Programs place Fulbrighters in classrooms abroad to provide assistance to the local English teachers. ETAs help teach English language while serving as cultural ambassadors for the U.S.

LSU student Gerard Lorio is passionate about his research and persistent in his pursuit of a medical career. Those efforts have culminated in his selection as a Goldwater Scholar, a prestigious honor reserved for only an elite few nationwide.

LSU student researcher and aspiring meteorologist Jonathan Russell is investigating possible shifts in tropical storm tornado-formation trends in hopes of developing new and improved forecasting solutions that could lead to life-saving alerts.

Danielle Gipson, an LSU senior honors student majoring in biochemistry, has researched both the medical and social aspects of Louisiana's high breast cancer death rate, helping to shine a light on the issue and bring hope for a multi-faceted approach to solving it.