Gold Standard of Excellence Honorees

The following individuals were honored at the inaugural Gold Standard of Excellence celebration on March 5, 2026, at the Hilton Capitol Center in Baton Rouge. The 2026 celebration honored recipients of highly prestigious and prestigious pathway awards from 2024 and 2025.

Highly Prestigious Award Recipient - $10,000 stipend*

  • Raquel Robvais, Fellowship, American Council of Learned Societies; Fellowship, National Endowment for the Humanities, Department of Communication Studies, College of Humanities & Social Sciences

Prestigious Pathway Award Recipients - $5,000 stipend*

  • Lisa R. Avalos, Fulbright Scholar, US Department of State, Paul M. Hebert Law Center
  • Sviatoslav Baranets, Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program, National Science Foundation, Department of Chemistry, College of Science
  • Corina Barbalata, Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program, National Science Foundation, Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering
  • John Bardes, Summer Stipend Award, National Endowment for the Humanities, Department of History, College of Humanities & Social Sciences
  • Will Beavers, Outstanding Investigator Award, National Institutes of Health, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine
  • Susanne C. Brenner, Blaise Pascal Medal in Computational and Information Sciences, Fellow, European Academy of Sciences, Department of Mathematics, College of Science
  • Eric Burns and Michela Negro, Giuseppe and Vanna Coconni Prize, European Physical Society, Department of Physics & Astronomy, College of Science
  • Les Butler, Fellow, The American Association for the Advancement of Science, Department of Chemistry, College of Science
  • Matthew Calamia, Fellow, American Psychological Association, Department of Psychology, College of Humanities & Social Sciences
  • Katie Cherry, Fellow, American Psychological Association, Department of Psychology, College of Humanities & Social Sciences
  • Manas Ranjan Gartia, Fellow, National Academy of Inventors, Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering
  • Zack Godshall, Fulbright Scholar, US Department of State, Department of English, College of Humanities & Social Sciences
  • Tina M. Harris, Fellow, International Communication Association, Manship School of Mass Communication
  • Weishan Huang, ASPIRE Award, American Association of Immunologists, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine
  • Ali Kazemian, Kavli Frontiers of Science Fellow, National Academy of Science, Department of Construction Management, College of Engineering
  • Michael Khonsari, Honorary Member, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering
  • Lois Kuyper-Rushing, Fulbright Scholar, US Department of State, LSU Libraries
  • Jimmy Lawrence, Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program, National Science Foundation, Cain Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering
  • Guoqiang Li, Fellow, National Academy of Inventors, Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering
  • Marybeth Lima, Fellow, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Department of Biological & Agricultural Engineering, College of Engineering
  • Hai (Thomas) Lin, Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program, National Science Foundation, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering
  • Chris Marvel, Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program, National Science Foundation, Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering
  • Nicholas A. Mason, Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program, National Science Foundation, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science
  • Femi Olorode, Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program, National Science Foundation, Department of Petroleum Engineering, College of Engineering
  • John A. Pojman, Fellow, The American Association for the Advancement of Science, Department of Chemistry
  • Kevin T. Smiley, Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program, National Science Foundation, Department of Sociology, College of Humanities & Social Sciences
  • George Z. Voyiadjis, Theodore von Karman Medal, American Society of Civil Engineers, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering
  • Fahui Wang, Fellow, American Association of Geographers, Department of Geography & Anthropology, College of Humanities & Social Sciences
  • Zakiya S. Wilson-Kennedy, Fellow, American Chemical Society, Department of Chemistry, College of Science
  • Amy Xu, Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program, National Science Foundation, Department of Chemistry, College of Science
  • Fan Zhang, Outstanding Investigator Award, National Institutes of Health, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science
  • James T. Dalton, Fellow, National Academy of Inventors, Department of Chemistry, College of Science**

 *Funding for stipends is contingent upon fiscal availability and is subject to change based upon budgetary constraints.  

**Stipend directed to LSU student support