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Lindsey Fussell
In March, LSU announced the launch of a $1.5 billion campaign in support of the flagship campus in Baton Rouge, the LSU AgCenter, LSU of Alexandria, LSU Eunice, LSU Health New Orleans, LSU Health Shreveport, LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center and LSU Shreveport. LSU’s Fierce for the Future Campaign is the largest fundraising campaign for higher education in the history of Louisiana.
The Fierce for the Future Campaign focuses on raising philanthropic support to advance six pillars: arts and culture; coast, energy and environment; research and economic development; health and well-being; education; and leadership. These pillars align with the strategic challenges identified in the LSU Strategic Plan 2025: Leading Louisiana and Impacting the World, which was introduced in fall 2017.
Each of LSU’s campuses, including the LSU AgCenter, have identified fundraising priorities that will collectively generate solutions for the people in Louisiana that hold the promise of making profoundly positive impacts around the world. With a sharp focus on research, extension and teaching, the LSU AgCenter is finding solutions and making advancements that will benefit future generations. A snapshot of a few of our priorities are included below:
Leveraging global positioning systems and big data to make production decisions is the next advancement in agriculture. LSU faculty and students versed in understanding and using data science are critical to the future of agriculture, and the agricultural industry is looking for employees with the ability to work with this emerging technology. Endowment funds for research, chairs, scholarships and professorships in agricultural technology research will keep us on the cutting edge, help producers incorporate new technology on their farms, and ensure our graduates have the knowledge and experience they need to succeed in their careers.
Louisiana people know food — how to produce it, cook it, consume it and celebrate it. The LSU AgCenter is there every step of the way, from helping people grow crops and become food entrepreneurs to educating people about safe food handling at Louisiana festivals. Your support will help us continue and expand these efforts.
Budding entrepreneurs have found success through the LSU AgCenter Food Incubator, and our faculty and students have tested and developed new products through the AgCenter Sensory Services Center. Building upon these existing accomplishments, a new Food Innovation Center will expand the scope of food-related research.
The LSU AgCenter offers one of the most active intellectual property programs in the country, and we rank among the top research universities. Our faculty are passionate about research that generates solutions for all aspects of agriculture, from agricultural economics and natural resources to animal and food sciences and textile science. Through our wide array of programs, we reach agricultural producers, entrepreneurs and consumers.
Our world can’t wait. Our work starts now. The LSU AgCenter is committed to harnessing innovation and education to improve lives. You can be part of planting seeds that will yield advancements we couldn’t have imagined a generation ago. Together, we can bring to life new technologies that will feed and clothe generations to come. Your support will shape the future of agriculture. You will pave the way for a sustainable food supply and safeguard our natural resources. Your gifts will transform student experiences and set our citizens on a successful path for healthy lives in Louisiana and beyond.
Learn more about how you can be Fierce for the Future with the LSU AgCenter at www.fierceforthefuturecampaign.org.
Lindsey Fussell is the senior director of Development and Corporate Engagement at the LSU AgCenter and the LSU College of Agriculture.
(This article appears in the summer 2019 issue of Louisiana Agriculture.)
Lindsey Fussell is the senior director of Development and Corporate Engagement for the LSU AgCenter and the LSU College of Agriculture. Photo by Olivia McClure
