UL Lafayette Ray P. Authement College of Sciences

𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁.

Congratulations to our students and Dr. Brian Schubert on continued media coverage highlighting their groundbreaking research into Louisiana’s live oak trees.

Their work is earning attention because it demonstrates something powerful: meaningful discoveries don’t just happen in laboratories — they happen when curious students ask big questions and work alongside faculty mentors to find answers.

We’re proud to see this research continue reaching new audiences and showcasing the kind of hands-on scientific discovery happening every day in the Ray P. Authement College of Sciences.

Watch on KLFY: UL Lafayette students’ groundbreaking oak tree discovery

UL Lafayette students’ groundbreaking oak tree discovery LAFAYETTE, LA. (KLFY) — Two undergraduate researchers at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette found that the campus oaks contained carbon isotope ratios lower than previously recorded for…

𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁.

Congrats to all of our graduates! Your hard work, leadership, and dedication inspire the entire UL Lafayette community.

𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁.

Big congratulations to Madeline Moore, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s overall Outstanding Master’s Graduate for the Spring 2026 semester!

Madeline is pursuing a master’s degree in Environmental Research Science through the School of Geosciences in the Ray P. Authement College of Sciences.

We congratulate all of this semester’s Outstanding Master’s Graduate finalists:

• Madeline Moore — School of Geosciences, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
• Braden Doucet — School of Biological Sciences, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
• Michael DeJean — Department of English, College of Liberal Arts
• Steven Guillory — School of Music, College of the Arts
• Lauren Edwards — Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts

Your hard work, leadership, and dedication continue to make UL Lafayette proud.

𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁.

The Ray P. Authement College of Sciences was proud to host our Spring 2026 Graduation Awards Night with Dean Azmy Ackleh, recognizing some of our most outstanding graduates for their achievements in scholarship, service, leadership, and research.

Our college awards are named in honor of former deans whose leadership and dedication helped shape the College of Sciences into what it is today. Their legacies continue through the success of our students.

Evening Highlights

• Dean Ackleh opened the evening with welcoming remarks and reflections on the accomplishments of the graduating class.
• Assistant Dean Ryan Simon announced the Outstanding Graduate finalists and presented the college awards.
• The evening concluded with closing remarks from Dean Ackleh, followed by refreshments and fellowship with graduates, families, faculty, and guests.

Award Recognitions:

The David R. Andrew Award
Presented to a student who has excelled in scholarly activities while maintaining an outstanding GPA.

The Sigred Lanoux Award
Presented to a student who has demonstrated exceptional service to the university and community while maintaining a high GPA.

The Bradd Clark Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research
Presented to a student who has participated in substantial documented undergraduate research while maintaining academic excellence.

The Outstanding Graduate Award
Each semester, the College of Sciences recognizes one exceptional student as our Outstanding Graduate. Candidates are evaluated on leadership, scholarship, service, and research, with the selected student advancing to compete for the University’s highest graduate honor.

This semester’s nominees were truly remarkable, making the committee’s decision both challenging and inspiring. We are proud of each graduate’s accomplishments and grateful for the impact they have made on our college community.

Congratulations to all of our award recipients and graduates! Your hard work, dedication, and passion for science continue to inspire us all.

𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁.

We had a wonderful time at our inaugural “From Vision to Impact” Appreciation Crawfish Boil!

It was a pleasure to bring together our alumni, supporters, and friends of the Ray P. Authement College of Sciences to celebrate the impact we are making together. From great conversations to great crawfish, the afternoon was filled with connection, energy, and a shared sense of pride in our College.

We were honored to welcome our President, Ramesh Kolluru, who offered welcoming remarks to kick off the event.

Dean Azmy S. Ackleh also shared remarks reflecting on the College’s journey—highlighting its past, its continued growth and impact today, and the exciting vision for the future.

A special thank you to Kelly and Mitch Robinson for generously donating the crawfish boil and for personally preparing and serving it - it was truly outstanding and enjoyed by all!

Thank you to everyone who joined us and continues to support our mission. Your partnership helps us turn vision into impact.

Big congratulations to our outstanding students and faculty from the College of Sciences!

Their hard work and innovation were recognized on an international stage, earning 1st Place in the Poster Competition at the IEEE Dallas Circuits and Systems Conference (DCAS) 2026!

The award-winning poster, “Real-Time Hyperdimensional Computing for Lightweight Language Model Classifiers,” was authored by: Alaaddin Goktug Ayar, Sercan Aygun, M. Hassan Najafi, and Martin Margala.

This prestigious global conference brings together leading researchers in circuits, systems, and emerging technologies - making this achievement a true testament to the excellence and impact of their work.

We are incredibly proud to see our College of Sciences community pushing boundaries and representing UL Lafayette at the highest level.

Please join us in celebrating this remarkable accomplishment!

https://dcas2026.com/

We are proud to celebrate the outstanding undergraduate researchers from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette recognized at the 2026 LEAF Awards for Excellence in Research, Creativity, and Scholarship!

Students from the Ray P. Authement College of Sciences were honored across multiple categories - including life sciences, physical sciences, math and statistics, education, and more - highlighting the incredible impact of undergraduate research in our college.

Special recognition to our students who also earned top honors such as the Provost Award and Exceptional Performance in Dissemination, demonstrating excellence not only in discovery, but in sharing their work with the broader community.

These awards celebrate students engaged in meaningful research and creative projects through the Advance Student Research Experience program, reinforcing our commitment to hands-on learning and innovation.

Congratulations to all of our student honorees - we are incredibly proud of your achievements and the future you are shaping!

Read more:

Undergraduate students honored for research, creativity, scholarship with 2026 Leaf Awards The University of Louisiana at Lafayette presented its 2026 LEAF Awards for Excellence in Research, Creativity and Scholarship for undergraduate student projects as part of the

The live oaks on campus aren't just providing shade — they’re helping our students uncover new insight about the atmosphere. Izamary Lara, a chemistry major, and Clinton Vincent, an environmental science major, analyzed 150 oak leaves and found something unexpected: the trees showed lower carbon-13 levels than any previously recorded for oaks. The finding adds to how scientists understand plant response to rising CO2, especially in wet environments like Louisiana.

The interdisciplinary project, led by the School of Geosciences in the UL Lafayette Ray P. Authement College of Sciences, was carried out as part of the UL Lafayette Advance Student Research Experience.

Read more at https://bit.ly/3PMhfHI.

Student researchers use campus oaks to track rising carbon dioxide levels Student researchers have analyzed the carbon chemistry of southern live oaks on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus to determine variables that alter the trees’ chemical signatures.

Congratulations to these outstanding students on their impressive work! We’re especially proud of the UL Bio-Pod Team, a collaboration between the College of Sciences and the College of Business, for earning third place in the Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup and a $10,000 prize.

This achievement is a powerful example of interdisciplinary, cross-college collaboration at UL, driven by the talent and innovation of our graduate students. These students demonstrate how diverse perspectives can come together to solve complex challenges and create meaningful impact.

A team of graduate students from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette earned a $10,000 prize at the Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup — a strong showing at one of the state’s top business competitions!

Led by Natasha Syed, Team Bio-Pod placed third for its concept to make organic gardening more accessible through plant-based pod systems. The team, including Mansu Acharya and Matthew Hasling, was mentored by Jonathan Shirley of the LEED Center.

A second UL Lafayette team, Outage Pilot, also reached the finals with a smart home energy platform designed to help homeowners recover more quickly after power outages.

Read more about the teams and their research at https://bit.ly/4bWrlxe.

Environmental Science and Geology students in the School of Geosciences recently took their learning beyond the classroom and into the field. Students practiced measuring leaf area and leaf area index, important tools used to better understand how ecosystems function.

These measurements help scientists study gas and elemental exchanges between the atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere—key processes that shape our environment and climate.

Interested in learning more about the College of Sciences, including our degree programs, scholarships, research opportunities, and career pathways?

Join us for Preview Day on March 21! Come visit campus, meet faculty and students, and see what studying science at UL Lafayette is all about.

👉 Sign up here: https://louisiana.edu/admissions-aid/visit-campus/preview-days-special-events

We’d love to welcome you to campus!