Learn more about LSMSA by attending an Exploration Day Applying ...

LOUISIANA SCHOOL FOR MATH, SCIENCE, AND THE ARTS
LSMSA Today
Non-Profit Org.
U. S. POSTAGE PAID
PERMIT No. 282
NATCHITOCHES, LA 71457
Oct Fall 2006 2011
www.LSMSA.edu Page 1
Page 1
Mark your calendar! Attend a community meeting in your area
and learn why LSMSA is the place for Louisiana’s best and brightest students
Listed below are the LSMSA regional community meetings to be held statewide for prospective students, parents, and others interested in
learning more about the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts. A school representative will provide information regarding
application requirements and deadlines, academics, residence hall life, clubs and other resources available to Louisiana School students.
Alexandria
Thursday, October 27, 6:30 p.m.
Gladys Higdon Instructional Resources Center
502 Beauregard
Baton Rouge
Thursday, November 3, 6:30 p.m.
Bluebonnet Regional Branch Library
9200 Bluebonnet
Geismar
Wednesday, October 19, 6:00 p.m.
Ascension Public Library/Dutchtown
13278 Highway 73
Houma
Thursday, October 20, 6:00 p.m.
Terrebonne Parish School Board Office
Board Room
201 Stadium Drive
Lafayette
Tuesday, October 25, 6:30 p.m.
Lafayette Library - South Regional Branch
601 Johnston Street
Lake Charles
Thursday, November 10, 6:00 p.m.
Central Library
301 West Claude Street
Metairie
Thursday, October 13, 6:30 p.m.
East Bank Regional Library
Napoleon Room B
4747 West Napoleon Avenue
Monroe
Thursday, October 27, 6:30 p.m.
Ouachita Parish Library
1800 Stubbs Avenue
Natchitoches
Tuesday, October 11, 6:30 p.m.
Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts
Long Boardroom
715 University Parkway
Shreveport
Thursday, November 8, 6:30 p.m.
Louisiana State University - Shreveport
University Center
Slidell
Tuesday, October 25, 6:00 p.m.
St. Tammany Library
555 Robert Boulevard
Thibodaux
Thursday, November 3, 6:30 p.m.
Bayou Community Academy Charter School
805 East Seventh Street
VIDEO MEETING
Thursday, December 6, 7 p.m.
Learn more about LSMSA by attending
an Exploration Day
Attending an Exploration Day is a fun way for families to learn about the
Louisiana School. Students can visit a LSMSA residence hall, discuss areas of study
with faculty, and get to know other students. Parents can meet with administrators and
the directors of academics and residential life. To top it off, students go to classes and
see for themselves what makes the Louisiana School so special!
November 14, 2011
January 16, 2012
Reserve your place today! Call 800-259-3173, email - admissions@LSMSA.edu or
register online: www.LSMSA.edu, click on “Prospective Families”, and “Visit LSMSA”
Robotics Day to be held in October
Robotics Day will be held Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011.
Robotics Day is open to students currently in 6th-9th grades.
The day will begin with registration at 9:30 a.m.
and will end at 3:00 p.m.
The registration fee is $10 per participant (lunch
included). Tell you teachers! Don't miss Robotics Day 2011!
Questions? Call 1.800.259.3173
or email Admissions@lsmsa.edu
Applying to LSMSA is free and easy
The application process is fairly simple. This process is detailed on
our website. Go to www.LSMSA.edu, click on “Prospective Families,” and
then click on “The Admissions Process.” The Admissions staff begins reading
completed applications in January. ACT with writing or SAT scores are
required, however, there is no minimum score required for admission.
Students are encouraged to take the test in December to ensure that scores will
be sent to LSMSA by the time the Admissions staff begins reviewing files.
Also, applicants are encouraged to complete all other aspects of the application
before taking the ACT with writing or SAT. Students can visit their guidance
counselor for more information on test registration or can register online for
the ACT with writing at www.actstudent.org and SAT at www.collegeboard.
com LSMSA’s test code number is 6351. See below for the ACT with writing
and SAT testing dates and registration deadlines. Please keep in mind, if you
miss the registration deadline, both tests have a late registration period.
Even if you are unsure about attending LSMSA, apply
anyway. If you are granted full admission, then you can make your decision.
ACT
Registration Deadline
Test Date
September 16 October 22
November 4 December 10
SAT
Registration Deadline
Test Date
October 7 November 5
November 8 December 3
Customize your calendar!
LSMSA students don’t just study, study,
study! They often participate in clubs, take
advantage of enrichment programs, and just
hang out with their friends and classmates. The
faculty and Student Life staff do an excellent job
of providing opportunities for students outside
of academics. In the past few weeks, there have
been workshops held on laundry, study skills,
overcoming homesickness along with speakers
from different universities, and dances on the
weekends. A student’s calendar can stay as busy
as he or she likes it to be. Visit the school to
meet with different students and hear first hand
how they chose to fill their calendar.
Students from Prudhomme Hall, Wing 1A, dress to impress
bimonthly. Pictured from left to right on the front row: Rishi
Banda, Paul Koenig, Do Young Yoon, Harsh Patel, Dhaval Patel,
Raj Patel, Josh Kubiak and John Vu. On the back row from left
to right: Reno Raju, Savan Patel, Chu Kim and Pratik Patel. Not
pictured is Kentrell Owens.
www.LSMSA.edu
www.facebook.com/lsmsa
www.youtube.com/LouisianaSchool

LOUISIANA SCHOOL FOR MATH, SCIENCE, AND THE ARTS
LSMSA Today
Fall 2011 www.LSMSA.edu
Page 2
Students compete in Envirothon
Contest in Canada
LSMSA Visual Artist attends
summer residency in Vermont
In June, LSMSA Visual Arts Instructor Chris King received a Hearst
Fellowship and attended a four week residency at the prestigious Vermont Studio
Center in Johnson, Vt. The residency consisted of 50 artists and writers from around
the world and provided each with a private studio where individuals focused on their
artistic practice. During the month, King focused on a series of abstract paintings as
well as photography and video projects. In addition to working in the studio, King
was a member of the Learning in Arts and Culture Program, and was given the
opportunity to collaborate with other artists and attend a visiting lecture series
throughout the residency.
An additional enrichment stipend was awarded to King by the Studio Center,
which will be used to take LSMSA students on a Visual Arts museum field trip this
year. King’s trip was provided additional funding by the LSMSA
Foundation's Richard G. Brown Fund for Faculty Advancement.
Team members pictured left to right on the first row Sun, Hang, and Hsu.
Second row left to right: Narayan and Mayer
Since the summer of 1988, students from around the United States and Canada
have competed in the Envirothon Contest. Envirothon is an environmental, problem
solving contest in which teams of students compete in six major areas: forestry,
wildlife, aquatics, soils, a current event, and an oral presentation. This summer’s
competition was held at Mt. Allison University in Sackeville, New Brusnwick,
Canada. Teams from 46 states and eight Canadian provinces participated in the
competition, where the current event and oral presentation focused on estuaries.
The team from Louisiana was comprised of five students from the Louisiana
School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA). These students were Hardy Hang
of Crowley, Dolly Hsu of New Roads, Daniel Mayer of Houma, Ayush Narayan of
Monroe, and Emily Sun of New Iberia. Two faculty members from LSMSA
accompanied the team on the trip, Dr. Allison Landry and Dr. Art Williams. The
LSMSA team placed eighth in the estuaries portion of the contest. This is the first
time a team from LSMSA has competed at Canon Envirothon. For more information
on the North American contest, please see the following website,
http://www.envirothon.org/index.php. For more information on the state contest,
please see the following website, http://www.deq.state.la.us/portal/tabid/2371/Default.
aspx.
Busy summer for LSMSA students
*Naseem Alammar of Leesville volunteered at Alammar Medical Clinic and
Leesville’s Cardiovascular Clinic.
*Claire Allen of Monroe attended the Trailblazers Camp in Natchitoches.
*Kaitlin Anselmo of Leesville attended training in Ville Platte for office of Reporter
for the state of Louisiana for the Louisiana chapter of the Future Business Leaders of
America.
*Elizabeth Balga of Metairie completed Paleontology/Geology and Computer Science
internships at LSU.
*Victoria Bamburg of Calhoun assisted Dr. Minton, a biology professor at ULM with
research that will be published once complete. She also spent a week in Joplin, Mo.
handing out supplies and assisting in the clean-up efforts from the tornado.
*Paul Bedel of Elizabeth completed a mission trip to Honduras.
*Ruslan Bilyalov of Destrehan participated in the State Science Fair, Physics division.
He received first place in Physics and won the Overall First Place in his age group.
*Cheyene Blanchard of Houma volunteered over 50 hours at the Terrebonne
General Medical Center in Houma.
*Allen Calmes of Baton Rouge completed an internship with Scorch Digital
Productions (Project Sound Division) in Baton Rouge.
*Emily Cowen of Thibodaux toured Belgium, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, and
Switzerland while earning two college credits. She also completed a French
Immersion Program in Quebec.
*Garrett Crooks of Colfax completed a two month long stage management internship
with the Zach Scott Theatre in Austin, TX.
*Deeksha Deep of Natchitoches conducted research at Northwestern State University
and volunteered at the Northwest Louisiana Cancer Center.
Want more information?
Email: Admissions@LSMSA.edu
Web: www.LSMSA.edu
Phone: 800-259-3173
Fax: 318-357-3189
LSMSA
715 University Parkway
Natchitoches, LA 71457
*Keionne Derouselle of Lafayette volunteered at the United Way of Acadiana in
Lafayette.
*Caroline Geary of Mandeville conducted neurological research with rats at Tulane
University and tutored students through a program at Christ Episcopal Church.
*Sara Ghorab of Leesville volunteered at Byrd Hospital in Leesville.
*Darrinisha Gray of Gretna participated in the West Point Summer Leaders Seminar at
the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. and the Oregon State
Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Ore.
*Bria Hawkins of Lake Charles volunteered at The People’s Advocate and Trinity
Baptist Church, both in Lake Charles.
*Tori Jackson of Colfax volunteered with World Changers of Dallas, Texas.
*Morgan Kastner of Denham Springs volunteered at the Louisiana Art and Science
Museum in Baton Rouge.
*Chuhyun Kim of Natchitoches conducted research at LSU-A and participated in the
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Leadership Camp in Pelican.
*Paul Koenig of Zachary conducted Organic Chemistry research at ULM.
*Amber Kropog of Springfield volunteered with the Tangipahoa Association of
Retarded Citizens.
*Joshua Kubiak of Lake Charles did an internship at Boston University through the
Research Internship in Science and Engineering Program.
*Casey Linn of DeRidder was a research assistant at the University of Central Florida
in Orlando, Fla.
*Austin McMichael of Geismar participated in the CCT (Center for Computation and
Technology) REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) at LSU.
*Ayush Narayan of Monroe conducted research at ULM with the Carr Research Group.
*Kathleen Niedbalski of Lafayette completed a French Immersion Program at
University of Sainte-Anne, Church Point, Nova Scotia, Canada.
*Harsh Patel of Natchitoches conducted research at LSU-A and volunteered at the
Habitat for Humanity Restore in Alexandria and a Nursing Home in Natchitoches.
*Priash Patel of Mandeville completed an internship with HaysVentures in New York
City, N.Y.
*Prisha Patel of Mandeville completed an internship at Baldone-Reina Dermatology in
Mandeville, La.
*Raj Patel of Lake Charles conducted research at McNeese State and volunteered at St.
Patrick’s Hospital.
*Savan Patel of Lake Charles conducted research at McNeese State in the Physics
Department and volunteered at St. Patrick’s Hospital.
*Emily Raulston of Covington volunteered at the Eastport Arts Center in Eastport,
Maine.
*Rebekah Reuben of Prairieville participated in the Idyllwild Arts Academy in
Idyllwild, Calif.
*Giovanna Rocha of Oakdale volunteered at DuMond Conservancy in Miami, Fla.
*Martin Sanders of Winnfield conducted research at Audubon Microfluidics,
Department of Biomedical Engineering at Tulane University and attended the National
Future Business Leaders of America Conference in Orlando, Fla.
*Anita Saraf of Lake Charles conducted research at Northwestern State University and
volunteered at the Calcasieu Parish Public Library.
*Nathaniel Schultz of Gonzales volunteered with Methodists in Mission in Suburanas,
Honduras and the Wetlands Research Center in Lafayette.
*Amon Straughter of LaPlace attended the Jazz Camp West in La Honda, Calif.
*Kripa Upadhyay of Leesville volunteered with Joan Kathey Dance Center and
Trupath Lab, Inc. both in Leesville.
*Kennetha Williamson of Alexandria conducted research at the Tulane School of
Medicine-Microbiology and Immunology Department.
*Sneha Yadlapati of Baton Rouge conducted research at LSU.
*Do Young Yoon of Metairie built homes with Habitat for Humanity in New Orleans.
*Area Health Education Center Summer Program participants - Jade Reich of
Shreveport and Emily Vice of Covington
*Girls State participants – Kaitlin Anselmo of Leesville, Darrinisha Gray of Gretna,
and Mary Beth Maggio of Natchitoches
*Howards Hughes Medical Institute participants – Victoria Bamburg of Calhoun, Tyra
Brown of Shreveport, Ayush Narayan of Monroe, and Boyang Piao of Ruston.
*Tulane University National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC) participants –
Theresa Hudson of Baton Rouge, Janet Lee of Natchitoches, and Prisha Patel of
Natchitoches.

LOUISIANA SCHOOL FOR MATH, SCIENCE, AND THE ARTS
LSMSA Today
Fall 2011 www.LSMSA.edu
Page 3
New faculty highlight new year
The Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts begins its
29th year of providing a choice for high-ability and highly-motivated
students from throughout the state. Recently recognized by Jay Matthews
of the Washington Post as one of the nation’s 24 “top performing high
schools”, LSMSA continues its tradition of bringing top students together
in a “living/learning environment” with top faculty and staff.
Six new faculty members have joined the school, each bringing a
wealth of experience and a passion for teaching.
Jason Anderson, a native of Opelousas, is joining the biology
department and is a recent graduate from Texas A&M, with a Ph.D. in
plant breeding, cytogenetics, and molecular biology. While earning his
MS and Ph.D. at A&M, Jason held leadership posts in several campus
organizations and volunteered as a head coach for the Boys and Girls Club From left to right: Thomakos, Egan, Anderson, Ngo, and Tainter. Not pictured: Morelock
of Brazos Valley.
Matthew Egan is serving both LSMSA and Northwestern State University as a director of technical theatre. He holds a master’s in fine arts from the University of Southern
California and has been active in design for both theatre and film in the Los Angeles area. Matthew is also a painter and has had shows in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Hollywood,
South Korea, and China. He is a Texas native.
Maurice Morelock is starting a second career in teaching, following a highly successful career with Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals. He has been a visiting
professor of biochemistry at Quinnipiac University and Marist College and holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of New Orleans, with postdoctoral study in biochemistry
at the Harvard Medical School. Maurice is a native of Shreveport.
Emile Ngo arrives in Natchitoches by way of California, Michigan, England, France, and Vietnam. He joins the chemistry faculty and holds a Ph.D. from the University of
Sussex (UK) in biochemistry. He has extensive industrial experience, including Dow Corning, the VA Center at the University of Michigan, and a biotech company in California.
Kerrie Tainter, who is joining the physics department, has worked for the past ten years with the Biomedical Research Foundation of Northwest Louisiana, but her experience
as a guest lecturer at Louisiana Tech and LSUS drew her to full-time teaching. Her Masters in Engineering is from Tulane and she holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the
Mayo Graduate School in Rochester, Minnesota.
Jeff Thomakos is the school’s new acting teacher and director of theatre. His MFA in acting is from Wayne State University and the Hilberry Repertory Theatre, and he has
extensive equity and non-equity experience, as well as some film and commercials. He will continue to serve as the artistic director for Water Works Theatre, Michigan’s only
professional outdoor Shakespeare Company.
New faculty, staff, and their families are enjoying a great first impression of LSMSA’s host city and the best is yet to come – fall, festivals, and getting to know the great
people and places of Natchitoches Parish and the region. Incoming parents and students are charmed by Natchitoches, and as always, LSMSA appreciates the hospitality that citizens
and businesses provide. Year 29 promises to be another excellent year for our community.
Opelousas native joins faculty at LSMSA
by Melissa Peveto, LSMSA Staff Member
Dr. Jason Anderson knew as
early as his teen years while attending
Opelousas Senior High School that
science intrigued him. Now, after
earning his Ph.D. from Texas A&M, he
is bringing the passion he has for biology
to teenagers at The Louisiana School for
Math, Science and the Arts as a professor
of biology.
“When I interviewed for this job, it was
the kids who sold me on this school,” said
Anderson. “What they can do at their
ages has truly astounded me. They are
respectful, attentive and curious. They
seem to excel in all they do and they
challenge me to grow as an instructor.”
For Anderson, the path to academia
was not a straight one. He spent seven
years in graduate school obtaining his
master’s of science and a Ph.D. in plant
breeding, with emphasis on sorghum
genetics. He served as a research
assistant while working on a post doctoral research project in cotton genomics.
“For several years, I was a research scientist which meant I worked in a lab
constantly.” It wasn’t until he was hired to teach at South Louisiana Community College in
Lafayette that he realized the tremendous impact his research experience could bring to the
classroom.
“Because I was successful in the lab at A&M, I can bring that experience into my
class labs,” said Anderson. “The same is true for many of our faculty. We have professors
with such wide degrees of experience. Many of us have been successful in other fields. We
are truly multidisciplined at LSMSA.”
Before teaching, Anderson gained valuable and unique experience as a research
scientist in plant cytogenetics. “In my post doctoral work, I wanted to understand the
complexity of cotton; therefore, my job was to use all the experience I gained in my tenure
in graduate school and create a cytogenomic map of a complex synthetic tri-species cotton
hybrid.” The species was created by crossing three genetically-distinct species. Using
multiple cytogenetic techniques, Anderson tried to determine the amount of gene
introgression for each chromosome.
Anderson’s master’s and Ph.D. work centers on sorghum. “Sorghum has some
features that make it very effective and attractive as a bio fuel crop. My research could
have a beneficial impact on understanding the relationship of wild sorghums to domestic
sorghums. Understanding the relationship between domestic and wild plant species is
fundamental to crop improvement,” said Anderson.
From the research lab to the classroom lab, Anderson is setting the bar high for his
students. “We can be examples to our students that hard work in high school and college
pays off. These students are our future scientists, researchers, politicians, educators,
doctors, poets or actors,” said Anderson. “I consider these students ‘de crème de la crème
and there is no place I would rather teach.”
Did you know...
- LSMSA students are allowed to go home
on the weekends?
- LSMSA students can earn college credit?
- LSMSA students participate in a
variety of clubs and competitions throughout
the school year?
Articulation Agreements
The Louisiana School has written contracts or articulation agreements
with certain Louisiana universities that allow LSMSA students to earn up to 55
credit hours to apply towards their bachelor’s degree. By earning that
number of hours, a student can trim the time it takes to earn a bachelor’s
degree to fewer than the standard four years.
These universities are:
Grambling State University
Louisiana Tech University
McNeese State University
Nicholls State University
Northwestern State University
Oglethorpe University (Atlanta, GA)
Southeastern Louisiana University
University of Louisiana - Monroe
University of Louisiana - Lafayette
Louisiana State University-Baton Rouge (Discussions are underway with
LSU. Contract will take effect in the fall of 2012)
LSMSA is constantly in talks with other colleges/universities in the
state and out of state to offer similar agreements. Students can also take dual
enrollment courses at Northwestern State and the courses can transfer to
colleges and universities in and out of Louisiana.
Visit our website www.LSMSA.edu to see the specific agreements with
all of these universities.

LOUISIANA SCHOOL FOR MATH, SCIENCE, AND THE ARTS
LSMSA Today
Fall 2011 www.LSMSA.edu
Page 4
Admissions enhances recruiting efforts
The Office of Outreach and Admissions for The Louisiana School for Math,
Science and the Arts has expanded its recruiting efforts in Southeast Louisiana. The
school announced that Toni Slessinger, who was previously employed by LSMSA as
an admissions recruiter based in Natchitoches, will operate an office in New Orleans to
service the city and the surrounding areas of Covington, Slidell, Mandeville, Chalmette,
Belle Chasse. Slessinger will also serve Thibodaux, Houma and as far west as Baton
Rouge.
“We have never had a person in the field in this capacity so it’s exciting to have
an expanded presence in the southeast part of the state,” said Dr. Sharon Williams,
Director of Outreach and Admissions for LSMSA.
Slessinger, who has been employed at LSMSA for five years, will be the school’s
representative at the fall night meetings in October and November where she will give
an overview of the school to prospective students and their parents. Those meeting dates
can be found on the schools website, www.lsmsa.edu, under the “Prospective Families”
section.
“Toni and her husband, Mark, who is the Head Basketball Coach at the
University of New Orleans, truly love the New Orleans area,” said Williams. “She will
be right at home representing the Louisiana School in the city and surrounding areas.
Toni has a tremendous understanding of the school’s mission and the type of student that
can be successful at LSMSA. “
She can be reached by calling 800-259-3173 or by email at tslessinger@lsmsa.
edu.
Melissa Peveto has joined the school’s admissions and outreach office, where she
will be using her considerable experience in media and public relations to promote the
school’s message throughout the state. Her experience includes both print media and
television reporting and anchoring in markets in the South. She was also a senior sales
representative for Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America.
Pictured left to right: Slessinger, Williams, and Peveto
Senior chosen to attend Girls Nation
Mary Beth Maggio, LSMSA senior from Natchitoches, was chosen to represent Louisiana at
Girls Nation after attending Louisiana Girls State. While at Girls Nation, she participated in mock
Senate sessions where states presented bills which were then argued and either passed or failed. Also
held were elections for President and Vice President of Girls Nation, who were later inaugurated in the
Capital building.
The young women spent a day on Capital Hill visiting with their various Senators and
Representatives, as well as observing the House and Senate in session and touring the area.
When she was not on the Senate floor, Maggio participated in a variety of activities in and
around the Capitol. On the first day, the group visited Arlington Cemetery where Girls Nation
presented a wreath, and Maggio had the opportunity to give a speech about being Catholic during a
ceremony in the amphitheater. Later, they visited Walter Reed Hospital where the group not only had
a picnic with the wounded veterans, but also performed patriotic songs. The group also visited the
national monuments and met President Obama.
Maggio had this to say about her experience:
“From meeting so many amazing people from around the country, to getting the
opportunity to see our government at work, to having once in a lifetime opportunities like
meeting the President, Girls Nation will be something I will never forget. We are all even
still keeping in touch through things like Facebook, email, and even snail mail. I don't
think the impact Girls Nation has left on me will ever wear off, and I will be forever
grateful for the opportunity the American Legion Auxiliary gave all of us.”
Mary Beth Maggio
2011 Matriculation
Ceremony
The annual Matriculation Ceremony
was held on Sept. 2, 2011. This
ceremony officially welcomes new
students into the Louisiana School family.
As new students’ names and home schools
are called, they sign the school roll and are
given certificates. The families of our new
students are also in attendance. After the
ceremony, students are dismissed for the
Labor Day holiday weekend.
From left to right: LSMSA Executive Director Dr. Patrick Widhalm, Sen. Ben Nevers, District 12, SGO President
Kentrell Owens of Monroe, SGO Vice President Eva Hildago of Lafayette, Sen. Gerald Long, District 31, Soloist Isabel
Milton of Carencro and Senior Class President Rishi Banda of Baton Rouge.