LSU Graduate School

10/27/2026

Meet Safiyeh Niknami, a Doctor of Design candidate in LSU’s College of Art & Design, whose research explores the intersection of design, cultural heritage, and emerging technology.

Inspired by her upbringing in Iran and the Persian art, literature, and architecture that surrounded her, Safiyeh is exploring how design can help people experience and understand cultural heritage. Her doctoral research uses LSU’s Rural Life Museum as a case study to examine how wayfinding, maps, and digital tools can help visitors navigate historic spaces and connect more deeply with their stories.

Her Persian cultural background has also shaped her interest in a future personal research study examining AI-generated Persian calligraphy. She is particularly interested in the limitations of generative AI in representing scripts such as Nastaliq, including issues of legibility, cultural accuracy, visual integrity, and the preservation of traditional calligraphic knowledge.

She shared that studying at LSU has provided her opportunities for our professional and creative development. Her design work received gold and silver honors through the American advertising awards at both the local and District 7 levels. She views these achievements as a part of the opportunities created through LSU’s academic environment, mentorship, and design community.

In recognition of National Arts & Humanities Month, we’re celebrating Safiyeh’s work and the role graduate research plays in preserving cultural heritage while exploring new ways to share it with future generations.

Keep up the amazing work, Safiyeh 🤩🎉

10/22/2026

Can you explain your research in just three minutes?

Jyoti Sharma is a doctoral student in LSU’s Department of Entomology who placed second in the 2025 Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition. Jyoti sat down to share details about her research, her experience since the competition, and her advice for students considering participating this year.

Registration is open for the 2026 3MT® competition! ⬇️Here’s what you need to know ⬇️

✅ To be eligible, you must be a doctoral student who has successfully passed their general defense by the date of their your presentation. Graduates are not eligible.

✅ The registration deadline is Tuesday, October 27, at 4:30 p.m.

✅ To enter, you must complete the registration form and submit your presentation by the deadline.

Think you can make your research make sense in three minutes? Register through the link in our bio before October 27! 🙌

10/22/2026

Need a break from classes, research, and studying? We’ve got you covered! 🍕🎨

The Pinkie Gordon Lane Graduate School is bringing back, Pizza & Painting — our largest graduate school social event! Last year, 200+ graduate students joined us for an evening of creativity, food, and great company. This year, we’re ready to do it all again, and make it better!

Come out and join us next Tuesday, October 27 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM in the Royal Cotillion Ballroom (in the Student Union) for FREE pizza and refreshments, stay for the FREE painting session — supplies will be provided & no artistic experience needed!

Think you’ve got what it takes to win Best Painting of the Night? Show off your skills, dress to impress for our costume contest, and enter for a chance to win exciting giveaways and prizes! 🏆

Grab your grad school friends and come unwind, get creative, and connect with fellow LSU graduate students. You won’t want to miss it! 💜💛

Registration is required! You can use the link in our bio to RSVP.

10/21/2026

Meet Allyson Wetherhold, an LSU Online student in the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program, whose Polar STEM Series earned a 2025 Carolyne L. Smith Best Practices Award from the Pennsylvania Library Association for Best Shoestring Budget Youth Program!

Allyson applied lessons from her coursework to create programming shaped by community feedback and children’s interests. When kids expressed a love for penguins, she turned their curiosity into hands-on STEM activities, from designing a flag to send to Antarctica to building igloos out of sugar cubes and freeing penguins from ice blocks.

Her work shows how graduate education can translate into creative, meaningful experiences that inspire the next generation of learners. Congratulations, Allyson! 💜💛

LSU Online

10/20/2026

We are so excited to welcome Dr. Meghan S. Sanders to the LSU Pinkie Gordon Lane Graduate School team as our new Associate Dean! 🎉

With two decades of service to LSU and eight years of administrative leadership experience, Dr. Sanders brings a deep understanding of graduate education, academic program development, and student success. She joins us from the Manship School of Mass Communication, where she served as Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research.

An accomplished scholar in media psychology, Dr. Sanders has built her career around understanding how media influence human thoughts, emotions, and well-being. Her work as both a researcher and academic leader reflects a commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for students and strengthening graduate education.

Welcome, Dr. Sanders! 💜💛

10/13/2026

From LSU to the Swiss Alps, the Dassanayake Lab’s graduate students took their research to the international stage! 🌏

In May 2026, graduate students Richard Garcia, Thu Nguyen, Samadhi Wimalagunasekara and Isabel Johnson joined Dr. Maheshi Dassanayake at the Gordon Research Conference on Salt & Water Stress in Les Diablerets, Switzerland. There, they presented their research, exchanged ideas with scientists from around the world and explored new discoveries in how plants respond to salt and water stress.

Their participation was made possible in part by graduate student travel awards and scholarships, highlighting the support that helps LSU graduate students share their work and contribute to scientific conversations worldwide.

We are so proud to highlight this extraordinary group as they showcase the amazing places that your graduate education at LSU can take you (and your research). 🤩

10/12/2026

Earlier this month, we had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Joseph P. Messina, LSU’s Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost! After meeting with Vice Provost & Dean of the Pinkie Gordon Lane Graduate School, Dr. Bargu Ates and our associate and assistant deans, Dr. Messina sat down with our staff and graduate assistants to discuss his plans and vision for graduate education at LSU.
 
Thanks for stopping by and spending time with our team, Provost Messina! We loved hearing from you, and we’re excited for continued collaboration efforts ahead.

10/06/2026

Today we are excited to spotlight Nicole Quinn, a master’s student in Social Work and a member of the Spring 2026 GSLI cohort.

After completing her GSLI training and experience, Nicole was inspired to launch her consulting business, Rooted Rapport, which focuses on helping schools and organizations strengthen culture through authentic connection, belonging, and intentional relationship-building.

Through GSLI, Nicole discovered that connection and belonging weren’t just values she cared about. They were strengths she had been bringing to every space she entered. That realization gave her the confidence to turn those strengths into purposeful work.

Rooted Rapport brings together her background in psychology and organizational behavior, her experience in education and social work, and her passion for helping people and communities thrive.

Nicole’s story is a great example of what can happen when you take time to understand your strengths, lean into them, and turn growth into impact.

We’re proud to see where GSLI has taken Nicole and excited to see where she goes next.

10/06/2026

Congratulations!!

Ross Cawthon defended his final document this morning! We have a new Doctor of Musical Arts, Dr. Cawthon.
His monograph title: Wisdom Is The Daughter of Experience: A Conductor’s Guide to The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci

10/01/2026

Registration is now open for the 2026 Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Preliminary Round!

This competition challenges doctoral students to communicate the significance of their research to a general audience in just three minutes. The Preliminary Round will be held on Friday, October 30 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in 225 Peabody Hall.

The competition is open to doctoral candidates who have successfully passed their general defense by the registration deadline. To compete, register and submit your presentation by 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 27.

Think you can make your research make sense in three minutes? Sign up through the link in our bio and visit the LSU Pinkie Gordon Lane Graduate School website for competition rules, guidelines and presentation resources.

Finalists will advance to the 3MT® Final Round on November 23, where they’ll compete for 1st, 2nd and People’s Choice.