海角社区

Boyd Professor awarded Blaise Pascal Medal, named European Academy of Sciences member, and selected to speak at the 2026 International Congress of Mathematicians -- the first 海角社区 faculty member to do so since 1970.

The 海角社区 Mass Spectrometry Facility (MSF) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Facility, key research resources at 海角社区, are expanding their capabilities thanks to a $69,199 enhancement grant from the Louisiana Board of Regents. This funding will improve sample preparation and add variable-temperature features for NMR, streamlining workflows and enhancing research quality.

Three 海角社区 College of Science faculty members鈥擜my Xu, Sviatoslav Baranets, and Nick Mason鈥攈ave been awarded the National Science Foundation鈥檚 prestigious CAREER Award. This award supports early-career faculty with the potential to serve as academic role models and lead advancements in research and education. NSF鈥檚 most competitive grant for junior faculty, the CAREER Program, provides five years of funding to establish a strong foundation for a lifetime of leadership, furthering 海角社区鈥檚 mission of innovation and scientific excellence.

As climate change drives ocean acidification, most corals struggle to survive鈥揵ut Porites panamensis in Mexico's Gulf of California is rewriting the rules. 海角社区 Department of Biological Sciences Professor Michael Hellberg is uncovering how this resilient coral thrives in CO鈧�-rich, low-pH waters that would kill most species. The work explores the surprising role of sex differences in survival, revealing that male and female corals respond differently to acid stress. By combining genomics, field research, and AI-based coral sex identification, the team is decoding the genetic and physiological strategies that may help corals adapt to a rapidly acidifying ocean.

Scientists have captured the first clear images of a subduction zone actively breaking apart off Vancouver Island, revealing how tectonic plates gradually tear into microplates rather than collapsing all at once. The discovery, published in Science Advances, offers new insight into Earth's surface evolution and may refine models of future earthquake risks in the Pacific Northwest.

With a new $1.8 million NIH grant, 海角社区鈥檚 Juhee Haam is investigating how rhythmic brain waves in the entorhinal cortex help transform experiences into long-term memories. The work could help explain why Alzheimer鈥檚 patients struggle with forming new memories long before old ones fade.

Gregory Thom, Curator of Genetic Resources at the 海角社区 Museum of Natural Science, has received a $1.16 million NSF Collaborative Research grant to build the most complete evolutionary family tree of parrots to date. Parrots are among the most threatened groups of birds, and by sequencing DNA from nearly every known species and subspecies, the project will clarify their evolutionary relationships and support conservation efforts. The team will also develop genetic barcodes to help identify trafficked birds, in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Selenium is a naturally occurring element that鈥檚 essential in small amounts but toxic at higher levels. In marine environments鈥攑articularly in coastal regions like Louisiana鈥攊t can accumulate in sediments and enter the food chain, posing risks to the seafood industry and public health. Associate Professor Achim Herrmann is studying how changes in ocean oxygen levels affect selenium鈥檚 movement through these ecosystems, helping to predict and manage its impact on local environments and economies.

A groundbreaking international expedition successfully drilled into the Earth's mantle in the Tyrrhenian Sea, recovering unique rock samples that challenge existing knowledge of the mantle's composition.

The 海角社区 Museum of Natural Science鈥檚 new Naturally Talented Program, launched by Outreach Coordinator Irene Marti Gil, brings together art, science, and the humanities to inspire student creativity and connection with the natural world. Through free workshops, the Poet鈥檚 Corner exhibition space, and an annual creative award, students can explore everything from nature journaling and gyotaku to jewelry-making and botanical illustration. By blending scientific observation with artistic expression, the program fosters community, personal growth, and a richer campus culture, offering pathways for students to discover and share their talents.

Tailenn Fungcharoen-McCray is a dedicated STEM educator addressing Louisiana鈥檚 teacher shortage. Through 海角社区鈥檚 GeauxTeach program and the Marjorie Lee Browne STEM Fellowship, she developed classroom expertise, mentorship skills, and a student-centered teaching philosophy. Committed to equity and representation, Tailenn inspires curiosity, high expectations, and confidence in her students, empowering them to see themselves as capable mathematicians and scientists.

Parking may seem like a mundane frustration until you鈥檙e circling a packed lot, running late, and wondering why no one has solved this yet. At 海角社区, Associate Professor of Physics & Astronomy Dr. Manos Chatzopoulos is tackling that very problem by turning his astrophysics expertise into practical technology. Using the same computational tools he applies to simulate massive cosmic explosions, Chatzopoulos co-founded ParkZen, a smartphone-based app that helps people find available parking spaces in real time鈥攏o infrastructure required.