On Par with the President

In this episode, President William F. Tate IV speaks to LSU assistant professor in experimental statistics, Thanos Gentimis. He discusses his field of expertise, which is data analytics with a special interest in machine learning and neural networks. Thanos created the first digital agriculture class at LSU and discusses how AI will soon shape the world of agriculture and farming. Thanos is married to Maria Bampasidou, Ph.D., who is also a professor in the LSU Department of Agricultural Economics & Agribusiness.

On this episode of the "On Par with the President" podcast, President William F. Tate IV sits down with the executive director of the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program, Julie Lively. Her research has centered around commercial fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico with a focus on blue crab including soft shell crab production, which generates about $293 million in Louisiana each year. Her work also includes shrimp and the shrimping industry, which generates a $1.3 billion economic impact per year. Louisiana is the largest producer of seafood in the contiguous U.S. Lively has led a wide range of Sea Grant-related research projects supported by more than $23 million in funding for which she has been the principal or co-principal investigator. Lively, an associate professor in LSU’s School of Renewable Natural Resources and Louisiana Sea Grant’s fisheries specialist, began her career at LSU in 2010.

Louisiana Sea Grant strives to promote stewardship of the state’s coastal resources through a combination of research, education and outreach programs critical to the cultural, economic and environmental health of Louisiana’s coastal zone. Louisiana Sea Grant is part of the National Sea Grant College Program, a network of 34 university-based programs in each of the U.S. coastal and Great Lakes states, Puerto Rico and Guam.

Is student-athlete recruitment an art or a science? How do you find the next Ja Morant? What are three things LSU Men’s Basketball Matt McMahon asks his players to control? McMahon answers these questions and more on this episode of “On Par.”    

Matt McMahon is the head coach of the LSU men’s basketball team. He was the 2021-22 Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year, and a Naismith National Coach of the Year Semifinalist who led Murray State to the first 18-0 season in that conference’s history. His teams won four conference championships in the last five seasons, three conference tournaments, and two NCAA tournament games.

Learn more about the "On Par with the President" podcast, see photos and transcript at: www.lsu.edu/president/on-par

For more than 30 years, David Dismukes has worked in consulting, academia, and government service. He’s currently the executive director, director of policy analysis, and professor of LSU’s Center for Energy Studies. He is also a professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences in the LSU College of the Coast & Environment. In this episode of the "On Par with the President" podcast, the energy sector expert discusses gas prices, energy supply, and Louisiana’s global impact.

To learn more about Dr. Dismukes and see a transcript of this episode visit www.lsu.edu/president/on-par

In this episode, President William F. Tate IV speaks to LSU golfer and junior Ingrid Lindblad, who is the winner of a school record eight collegiate titles. Ingrid recently won LSU’s first individual SEC golf championship in 31 years. Currently, she is the World Amateur Golf Rankings No. 2 golfer, and she just finished tied for third place at the NCAA Championships. Ingrid talks about how school is still her main focus, despite her many athletic achievements and ambitions in the world of golf.

Learn more and see photos: https://www.lsu.edu/president/on-par/2022/05-23-lindblad.php

Fatima Rivas believes she was born to be a chemist. The LSU chemistry assistant professor is fulfilling her passion and conducting breakthrough cancer research. Rivas and her team are studying a promising new treatment for an aggressive type of breast cancer: triple-negative breast cancer, or TNBC. Their work looks at a compound derived from mushrooms. In this episode, Rivas shares her path from organic chemist to cancer researcher, and her commitment to advocating for women and underrepresented minorities in STEM.

Learn more and see photos at www.lsu.edu/president/on-par/2022/04-22-rivas 

Growing up, Dr. Golden Richard III’s fanatical devotion to computers led him to clean parking lots for a year, simply to buy a single $600 floppy drive. After 40 years, Golden is still driven by the constantly shifting world of computer science — a world of stolen encryption passwords, ransomware negotiators, high-tech chess, and sophisticated attacks. Here at LSU, Golden is educating the next generation of highly technical cybersecurity professionals ready to defend and solve these issues.

Golden Richard has more than 40 years of practical experience in computer science. He is a Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, the Associate Director for Cybersecurity in the LSU Center for Computation and Technology, and the Director of the Applied Cybersecurity Lab. Richard is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Learn more and see photos at www.lsu.edu/president/on-par/2022/03-29-richard

In this episode, President William F. Tate IV speaks to  LSU physics and astronomy doctoral student Michelle Lollie. She discusses her area of expertise, quantum communication, and how it may help protect our most sensitive information — from your credit card number to health records — from being hacked in the future as well as preventing cybersecurity attacks. Lollie also discusses her advocacy for equity across STEM subjects, particularly in the field of physics.

Michelle Lollie is a physics and astronomy doctoral student at LSU. As part of the Quantum Photonics group, she is investigating high-dimensional quantum communication using twisted light. She’s an advocate for equity across STEM subjects, particularly in the field of physics, and is a steering committee member of American Physical Society's Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Alliance. and. She holds multiple degrees, including a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Clark Atlanta University, a bachelor’s degree in physics from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, and a master’s degree in physics from Indiana University.

Learn more and see photos at www.lsu.edu/president/on-par/2022/02-25-lollie

LSU PhD candidate James Stampley has taken his passion for health and fitness and turned it into a research focus. In this episode, Stampley shares his journey from collegiate athletics and his touchdown against Ole Miss, to the lab where he is exercise training fruit flies for research into aging and metabolic diseases.  

James Stampley IV is a former LSU Football player with two bachelor’s degrees, and is currently pursuing a PhD in the Kinesiology program, specializing in Exercise Physiology. His research is focused on metabolism and the role that exercise can play on aging and metabolic diseases. His current project includes exercise training fruit flies and measuring their metabolic adaptations.  This idea was developed with his advisor Dr. Brian Irving, as they looked for novel methods of continuing research during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to his academic focus, he is still a competitive athlete – having recently won two gold medals in a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu national tournament last year.

Learn more and see photos at www.lsu.edu/president/on-par/2022/01-28-stampley

What is ichthyology? It's the study of fish, and Dr. Prosanta Chakrabarty is a master of it. He joins President William F. Tate IV to discuss his journey around the world to study some of the planet's most unusual creatures. He also shares his experience as a curator for the LSU Museum of Natural Science, the importance of translating scientific work for the public, and his efforts to train and inspire the next generation of naturalists and explorers.

One of the world’s leading ichthyologists, Dr. Prosanta Chakrabarty is a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and the curator of fishes at LSU’s Museum of Natural Science. His research focuses on the study of fish to help understand evolution and the history of the Earth. Among other things Dr. Chakrabarty is a TED Senior Fellow, an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a Research Associate at the American Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian, and a Fulbright Distinguished Chair.

Learn more and see photos at www.lsu.edu/president/on-par/2021/12-21-chakrabarty