LSU Department of Chemistry

⭐Student Spotlight⭐
Samuel Owoso, Chemistry Graduate Student

Meet Samuel, a 5th-year Ph.D. candidate in the Zhang Research Group studying biomacromolecular and polymer chemistry. His research explores how molecular evolution leads to the emergence of functional protoproteins and investigates the dynamic mechanisms that enable sequence selection at life’s origin. Samuel chose chemistry because it allows him to uncover how molecular interactions give rise to function and to translate those insights into new materials, one monomer at a time.

After graduation, Samuel hopes to pursue a career as a materials R&D scientist, creating functional and sustainable polymers that enable innovations in energy, biotechnology, and next-generation electronics. Outside the lab, he enjoys playing badminton, writing music, singing, and experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen.

We were proud to join the Baton Rouge Chapters of the ACS and AIChE in celebrating outstanding contributors to science, many of whom are part of our community.

🏆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗘. 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱
Prof. Rao M. Uppu – Professor of Environmental Toxicology at Southern University and A&M College - Baton Rouge, LA, and Adjunct Professor in LSU Chemistry

🏆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱
Dr. Howard Pentes – Manager, Louisiana State Police Crime Lab

🍎 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Ms. JoAnne Steward – LSU Laboratory School; 2025 ACS High School Chemistry Teacher of the Year

Mr. Lorenzo Foster – St. Michael the Archangel High School; Recipient of the 2024 ACS Southwest Region Award for Excellence in High School Teaching

🌟 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗔𝗖𝗦 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱
Daniel Le Lorier, LSU Chemistry

🧪 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗮 𝗔𝗖𝗦 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗢𝗹𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺
- Timothy Namikas, Episcopal School of Baton Rouge, Honors, National Exam
- Kevin Zheng, Catholic High School, 1st Place, Baton Rouge Local Section Exam
- Aiden Fee, The Dunham School, 2nd Place, Baton Rouge Local Section Exam
- Darren Weng, Episcopal School of Baton Rouge, 3rd Place, Baton Rouge Local Section Exam

👏 Congratulations to all honorees for their remarkable achievements and contributions to science, education, and the community.

Loving all the posts from Super Science Saturday! Thank you for volunteering and helping make our event a success. 💜💛

“This paper is high-impact because it examines an existential risk, projecting the billions of people who would starve under nuclear winter scenarios” ... “Focus on questions that address pressing scientific or societal needs” ... “a totally unexpected discovery” ... “In general, research that becomes widely cited often does so because it creates a shared resource others can easily adopt and build upon.”

Hear more from LSU researchers who recently authored highly cited papers on how they did it: https://www.lsu.edu/blog/2025/11/highly-cited-papers.php

LSU College of the Coast & Environment LSU College of Engineering LSU College of Science LSU AgCenter LSU College of Humanities & Social Sciences

We are proud to celebrate our faculty who were honored at the LSU Promotion and Tenure Ceremony! Their commitment to research, teaching, and mentorship strengthens our Tiger community every day.

Promotion to Associate Professor with Tenure:
⭐ Prof. Matthew Chambers

Promotion to Professor:
⭐ Prof. Revati Kumar

Controlling how and when molecules cross cell membranes is a challenge in drug delivery and biomedical engineering. Greater precision could enable therapies that activate only where and when they’re needed, reducing side effects and improving effectiveness.

In a new paper, the García-López Research Group reports a photoswitchable rotaxane that changes shape in response to light, doubling membrane permeability (29% → 59%) and demonstrating how light can precisely regulate molecular activity.

Their findings open new possibilities for light-responsive tools that could one day deliver drugs or modulate cells with pinpoint accuracy.

🔬 Read the full study to see how light is redefining molecular medicine > https://www.beilstein-journals.org/bjoc/articles/21/192

Congratulations to graduate student Kelcey Hines for successfully defending her doctoral dissertation! Kelcey worked under the guidance of Prof. Kermit Murray.

Today and every day, we thank our veterans for their courage, sacrifice and service. 🇺🇸

🌟 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆! 🌟
Join us TODAY at the LSU PMAC for a STEM-sational event full of discovery and hands-on learning! 🧪🔬 From building rockets and extracting fruit DNA to exploring 3D molecules in virtual reality, there’s something for every curious mind.

🗓 Saturday, November 8th
⌚10 AM – 3 PM
📍LSU Pete Maravich Assembly Center (PMAC)
✨FREE Admission!
🔗Learn more: https://www.lsu.edu/science/chemistry/information/sss.php