LSU College of Agriculture Honors Class of 2024 at Fall Commencement

On Thursday, Dec. 19, the LSU College of Agriculture awarded a total of 123 degrees during the fall commencement ceremony. Among the graduates were 91 recipients of bachelor's degrees, 22 recipients of master's degrees and 10 recipients of doctorates.

The fall class of 2024 is composed of students from 26 Louisiana parishes, 15 states and eight countries. The college acknowledged the graduates for their exceptional academic performance and various honors and distinctions.

This semester two undergraduate students were among the students receiving the University Medal. This medal is awarded to students with the highest grade point average. Medalists include Will Dubecq, who majored in plant and soil systems, and Haley Adams, who majored in textiles, apparel design and merchandising.

■ Alivia Quirk

College of Agriculture Professor Named One of the Most Cited in the World

LSU College of Agriculture and AgCenter professor Qinglin Wu has been named one of the most influential researchers in the world by Clarivate Analytics’ 2024 list of Highly Cited Researchers.

Wu, who works in the School of Renewable Natural Resources, has contributed to the burgeoning field of sustainable material research with 476 publications that have been cited close to 27,000 times.

The annual Highly Cited Researchers list identifies scientists who are among the top 1% of researchers in their field based on citations in the Web of Science database in the past decade. In 2024, 2,507 researchers in the United States have been honored.

Much of Wu’s work surrounds the use of wood and other biomass as a sustainable material that could be used in a variety of ways, including batteries, drilling fluids, composites, hydrogel and concrete.

Wu believes the widespread application of his work contributed to the extent he was cited.

“This is a really dynamic field dealing with sustainable material technologies and the conversion of this low-quality biomass into a high-performance material,” Wu said. “People want to get into this. That's why people recognize our publications — our work.”

Wu described his research as “cross-field,” meaning he believes his projects could have practical applications across many disciplines. He has already worked with chemistry, civil engineering and architecture researchers, among others.

While Wu has himself worked tirelessly on his research, he has not done it alone. Wu feels great appreciation for his colleagues and students who have helped him.

“I'm grateful for my collaborations with many other people in the field,” Wu said. “This is representing a whole team effort.”

He also acknowledged the support he receives from the AgCenter and School of Renewable Natural Resources.

■ Anthony Bailey

This article appears in the winter 2025 issue of Louisiana Agriculture.

Matt Lee, vice president for agriculture and dean of the LSU College of Agriculture, speaks to graduates at the fall commencement ceremony. Photo by Alivia Quirk

Qinglin Wu works in the School of Renewable Natural Resources and was honored as one of the most cited researchers in the world. Photo by Olivia McClure