LSU Racks up on Early Achieving, High Performance Junior Faculty
April 20, 2009
The term “Sweet 16” is usually reserved for basketball teams and birthday parties, but researchers at LSU have taken it to an entirely new level of prestige. The university boasts an impressive 16 faculty members holding current National Science Foundation, or NSF, CAREER grants, the most prestigious award bestowed upon junior faculty by the funding agency.
“CAREER recipients are highly sought-after faculty members who receive the grants in recognition of their ability to pursue complex, innovative research and also maintain an exceptional teaching career while doing so,” said LSU Provost Astrid Merget. “In other words, these researchers are not just skilled in the technical language of their individual fields – they are excellent communicators overall.”
The Faculty Early Career Development, more commonly referred to as CAREER, grant program is a highly competitive award offering support to junior faculty who “exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations,” according to NSF literature. CAREER grant recipients must hold the title of assistant professor, or the equivalent status, and must not yet hold tenure at their respective institutions.
“Sixteen is definitely an impressive number to have,” said Merget. “It’s a direct testament to the quality of research and teaching going on at LSU.”
The current LSU-based CAREER grant-holders are:
Scott Baldridge, Department of Mathematics
Bin Chen, Department of Chemistry
Q. Jim Chen, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Robert Cook, Department of Chemistry
Marcio de Queiroz, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Mette Gaarde, Department of Physics & Astronomy
Jayne Garno, Department of Chemistry
Bijaya Karki, Department of Computer Science
Tevfik Kosar, Department of Computer Science and joint faculty appointment with the LSU Center for Computation & Technology, or CCT
W. Todd Monroe, Department of Biological & Agricultural Engineering
Juana Moreno, Department of Physics & Astronomy and CCT
Evgueni Nesterov, Department of Chemistry
Shane Stadler, Department of Physics & Astronomy and Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices, or CAMD
Sunggook Park, Department of Mechanical Engineering
David Young, Department of Physics & Astronomy
Jiandi Zhang, Department of Physics & Astronomy
“Just as impressive as the number is the breadth of research these grants highlight at LSU,” said Brooks Keel, vice chancellor for research and economic development. “We enjoy a great cross-section of disciplines recognized with CAREER grants, and many of those departments not currently being sponsored have been award recipients in the past.”
Article by Ashley Berthelot, LSU Media Relations, 225-578-3870, aberth4@lsu.edu
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Above are photos of the College of Engineering faculty honored this year as CAREER recipients.
