Graduate Program Opportunity – LSU

The Department of Chemistry at Louisiana State University is looking for excellent students for our graduate program.

Our faculty perform research in diverse areas from organic chemistry to structural biology to materials science, energy-related research, and environmental chemistry. Kevin Smith’s group continues its longstanding work on porphyrin chemistry, and Isiah Warner’s group continues its development of the Group of Uniform Materials Based on Organic Salts (GUMBOS) with broad applications in nanotechnology and medicine. Rendy Kartika applies novel organic reactions to the synthesis of complex molecules of biological and pharmaceutical importance, Graça Vicente uses BODIPY dyes for biophysical and bioanalytical applications and the development of new agents for the photodynamic treatment of cancer, and Mario Rivera is engaged in areas as diverse as iron homeostasis in pathogenic bacteria and fragment screening for the discovery of antibiotics. Weiwei Xie’s group has discovered several new superconductors as part of their research into novel quantum materials, and Tuo Wang’s work in the area of solid-state NMR is providing new insights into fungal cell wall structure. Our recent recipients of DOE and NSF Early CAREER Awards (Kenneth Lopata, Daniel Kuroda, and Revati Kumar) are involved respectively in theoretical work on attosecond dynamics, experimental studies of two-dimensional infrared laser spectroscopy, and computational studies of graphene oxide-liquid interfaces. Donghui Zhang and Gerald Schneider apply X-ray and neutron scattering techniques to soft matter research. The Superfund Center concentrates on newly identified pollutant-particle systems including environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs).

We have a large (141 students) and diverse group of graduate students in our program, essentially all supported on assistantships or fellowships. We put a large emphasis on the training of women and underrepresented minorities, and have received major awards in recognition of our mentoring, advising, and science education efforts (Nature Award for Mentoring, Presidential Award for STEM Mentoring, ACS Award for Encouraging Disadvantaged Students). Our faculty believe firmly that we are here not simply to provide research advice but to also provide advising and mentorship. Above all else, we love to hear from interested prospective graduate students!

Detailed information about our department and our graduate program can be found at chemistry.lsu.edu. For questions about our research, students are invited to contact any of our faculty. For questions about the application process, they should contact Dr. Caroline Schneider at gradchem@lsu.edu. I should note that there is no application fee for domestic students. We very much look forward to hearing from you!