Student Advocates of Science
The College of Science ambassadors may be the first faces many new LSU hopefuls see if they are considering science at LSU.
These ambassadors are student leaders within both the Science and the LSU community. Representing each of the five departments, they are the faces of the college, giving tours of the campus to prospective students and assisting in orientation activities for incoming freshmen.
This year’s ambassadors include: Julia Browning, a senior biochemistry major; Nathaniel Wrobel, a sophomore physics major; Emma Lane, a senior chemistry major, minoring in art history; Emily O’Quin, a sophomore biological sciences pre-med major, minoring in political science; Lauren Peltier, a senior biological sciences major, minoring in psychology; and Leora Wilson, a junior geophysics major, minoring in oceanology.
CoS: What made you interested in joining the College of Science ambassador team? What has your experience been like?
Nathaniel: The idea that I could work alongside a team of like-minded science majors was an opportunity I knew couldn’t be missed. The work environment is filled with all sorts of interesting people that never fail to teach me something new. During my time as an ambassador, I have had the chance to work science events and give tours to prospective students. It is a great feeling to be able to offer my experience to younger students. Since becoming an ambassador, I have felt like I am able to give back to the science community.
Julia: I initially started out as a student worker for the front desk with President’s aid. I saw that the ambassadors helped potential students reduce stress about coming into college and as someone who was the first child in their family to go through the college enrollment process, the idea of doing that for someone else intrigued me. I love it—the atmosphere that the office has is the best and is kind of a safe-haven on campus for me. It’s also so satisfying when you can see the reassurance that you give someone simply by providing them with advice and information about their potential next four years.
Emily: I was most interested in being able to interact with incoming students and getting to work with people who were pursuing very similar interests. So far, I have been able to connect with this great group of Ambassadors who have helped me to train and prepare to talk to the incoming students.
Emma: I was going to apply to be an ambassador in Spring of 2020, but that plan went awry so I joined in Spring 2021. It seemed like a fun thing to do honestly because I love science and meeting new people with similar interests. I have loved being an ambassador for the college of science! We’re like a little family of science people, and we always have fun together.
Lauren: My experience as an ambassador has been truly life changing. Most people think we just give tours or work events, but it is so much more. The College of Science is like a family, even more so within the ambassadors. Working with such amazing people and scientists is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Further than that, as an ambassador you are often someone’s first experience with LSU science. We strive to make sure they feel the welcoming environment that surrounds the LSU College of Science.
Leora: I was recommended to the job by a fellow teacher my sophomore year. Last year was great with an amazing lead ambassador who was also in the Geology Department with me. We got along very well, and she made working fun. I enjoy giving tours and encouraging incoming freshman to be as involved as possible.
CoS: How has joining the ambassadors added to your college experience?
Julia: It has created a community for me in which I can step away from the hecticness of college courses and hang out with friends (while also getting work done, of course).
Lauren: I thought when first getting the job, I would be giving tours and just working any normal job. However, going into work always brings a smile to my face. The connection you can make with all those who work in the College of Science, is truly an unexpected gift.
Emily: Joining ambassadors has helped me most with learning how to balance my work, school, and personal life, as this has added an extra amount of work that I have to get done.
Emma: Joining the ambassadors has made me so much more connected to the college. I've met people of all the majors and been able to learn about why everyone is passionate about their fields.
CoS: What has been your most memorable or influential moment in the College of Science?
Leora: Speaking at SCEC (Southern California Earthquake Center) presenting my poster on seismic anisotropy determining crustal stress orientations. Also helping a graduate student collect core samples from False River.
Nathaniel: I participated in a summer research program during 2021. While COVID made interaction difficult, I was greatly influenced by what I had learned. I learned how a researcher conducts their research, and I even gained experience working on my own project. Also, it enabled me to learn topics far beyond the courses I have taken, which will definitely help me down the road.
Lauren: My most memorable moment in the College of Science is not one singular moment, but a collection of many. I find my love for science to grow with each recruitment event. At many events, the CoS Ambassadors host a science trivia game. Helping students and families to answer questions and get excited about science Usually, these moments are filled with laughter and joy. The high spirits of these events and the special students interested in going into science are my most memorable experiences within the College of Science.
Julia: Probably the pandemic. It was really rough for me as a student and has taught me really valuable lessons about how debilitating setting the pressures of unrealistic standards on myself is. Growing up, everything was a competition, and I had to realize that the only person that I should be competing with was myself and not compare myself to others who were doing the same thing as me.
CoS: What attracted you to pursue science?
Emma: It's a dream of mine to study the composition of famous paintings and discover the process that went into their creation using chemical and spectroscopy techniques. Sometimes there are whole other paintings under the surface that nobody has seen since the painter covered them and to find one would be truly incredible.
Lauren: I always loved science as a child. Science is the type of class where questions are encouraged and may not be answered. This is because as scientists we consistently strive to answer life’s questions. However, for every answer we receive, there are even more endless possibilities of questions to ask. There are endless possibilities within science. This freedom to ask questions and search for answers is why I fell in love with science.
Nathaniel: When I was younger, my dad took me to NASA’s facility in Houston. I had been fascinated in space beforehand, but this helped solidify my decision to pursue physics. I was drawn to the unknown that physics offers us. To me, physics is the way to push boundaries and venture into new places, whether it be theoretical or experimental. Seeing NASA in person, along with hearing the talks given, inspired me to join the endeavor of pushing humanity further in the field of science.
CoS: In your pursuit of science, if you could answer one big question during your career, what would it be?
Emily: My main question I would like to answer would be “Why do we dream?” because I have always been fascinated behind the science of the brain.
Julia: How to get rid of COVID.
Leora: How to educate people on the climate cycles of the world through interglacial periods to glacial periods and what happens to the biosphere as these cycles continue. Also, a main objective for me would be to determine a new form of renewable energy.
Nathaniel: As a physics major, it is natural that I want to find a way to unify the four fundamental forces. Creating a grand unified theory is the goal of every physicist, and it is something even Einstein scratched his head over.
CoS: If you could give any piece of advice to yourself as an incoming freshman, what would it be?
Leora: Stay on top of your responsibilities. Never wait until the last minute, and talk to your professors and form more personalized relationships—this isn’t high school.
Lauren: My advice to freshman would be to find their family on campus. Surround yourself with people who will encourage you and uplift you. When you are having a bad day, find those people who will help to make it better. For myself, I found my family within the College of Science. This idea of family is different for everyone, but once you find it, you will never want to leave.
Nathaniel: If I could offer my freshman-self advice, I would tell him to take advantage of LSU’s programs. LSU offers so much, which can be overwhelming. As a freshman, I didn’t know about a lot of opportunities I had open to me, and I never took advantage of what I was aware of.
Emma: If I could give incoming freshman-me any advice it would be to not be afraid to go to tutoring for the tricky classes and to make friends with the people in my classes. College is a lot more fun when you have study buddies and a support system for when you fail science exams.
Julia: There’s so much, but I think the one that would make the biggest impact would be to get more involved on the campus. Go to the fun events that are offered, and put yourself in a position to make some friends because having a community is what will get you through the toughest parts of college. Also, please learn how to manage your time and stop procrastinating.
Emily: Leave time in the day for just yourself, just to breathe and make sure that you are not overextending yourself!
Note: Additional College of Science ambassadors who are not featured in this story are Houston Smith and Mechela Lopez.