Dr. Catherine O'Neal Named Commencement Speaker for the College of Science

 

BATON ROUGE – The LSU College of Science is proud to announce Dr. Catherine O'Neal as the Spring 2024 Commencement Speaker, addressing our largest graduating class to date.

Dr. Catherine O’Neal has served as the Chief Medical Officer at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana’s largest hospital, since 2020 after previously serving as the Medical Director of Infection Prevention for 10 years.

A native of Mamou, Louisiana, Dr. O’Neal completed medical school and residency at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans and her infectious diseases fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She has practiced medicine specializing in the research and treatment of infectious diseases since 2003 and continues an active clinical practice seeing inpatients and outpatients.

Dr. O’Neal was one of Louisiana’s foremost voices during the COVID-19 pandemic, serving as a national leader providing frontline information from hospitals, offering invaluable guidance to state officials, and advocating for community vaccination. Throughout her career, she has held numerous clinical leadership roles focused on driving improved patient outcomes and developing zero-harm care environments.

In addition to her role at Our Lady of the Lake Health, Dr. O’Neal has served on the faculty of Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans since 2009, most recently as an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and Infectious Diseases. She was also appointed as the Chief Medical Advisor for the Southeastern Conference in 2022, where she is responsible for facilitating the development of conference-wide medical initiatives and standards to ensure consistent policies related to physical health, mental health and holistic wellness.

 

For details about the 2024 Spring Commencement Ceremony, visit https://www.lsu.edu/commencement/ceremonies/spring.php.