Undergraduate Research
Whether your career goals lead to graduate school or the workforce, skills gained
through undergraduate research offer a competitive advantage. And the benefits go
beyond your résumé. This is your chance to create knowledge about a topic that sparks
your passion. Tap into the many resources for undergraduate researchers and let your
curiosity guide the way.
LSU Discover
The LSU Discover Undergraduate Research program supports student participation in faculty-mentored research and professional-level activities. Project topics may be developed independently by the student or in collaboration with the faculty mentor. Participation in undergraduate research can occur in one of many different modes including: paid positions, for course credit (typically independent studies or special problems courses), scholarship opportunities, honors theses, or as volunteers. For more information, follow the links below or email lsudiscover@lsu.edu.
mentors matter
You will find research mentors in every department within the Ourso College. Any willing faculty member can serve as a mentor. The LSU Discover database is a great place to start. There are also many faculty who serves as mentors but have not added their names to the database yet. You can also connect with faculty whose research interests match yours. Our directory and research sections can be helpful tools in your search.
"My research journey started during my undergraduate career. In fact, I had never
considered a career in academia until my advisor helped me publish my very first academic
publication from my undergraduate thesis! Without the assistance and encouragement
of several brilliant, passionate, and patient mentors at every stage of my career,
I likely wouldn't be where I am today -- in my dream job as a researcher and professor
of marketing at LSU. So, I feel compelled (and honored) to lend as much support and
guidance for the next generation of researchers as was provided for me."
Kris Lindsey Hall, associate professor and research mentor
"Engaging in research projects exposes undergraduate students to new ideas and allows
them to explore them further outside of the classroom, enriches their educational
experience through the mentorship they receive from the professor in the process of
conducting the research, and helps differentiate themselves in the eyes of prospective
employers."
Rajesh Narayanan, professor and research mentor
"Doing research as an undergraduate helps build important skills, but more importantly,
it provides a unique perspective on the process of generating new knowledge. I wouldn’t
be where I am today without the guidance of my own very generous mentors, and I consider
it my responsibility to help the next generation of students discover their interests
and develop their skills."
Daniel Keniston, associate professor and research mentor
LSU Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program
LSU Distinguished Undergraduate Researchers participate in a track of educational and research activities. They demonstrate outstanding ability as an advanced student researcher in their discipline. Distinguished Researchers are honored at a special medal ceremony in their graduating semester. The designation will be noted on their transcripts.
Learn more about the distinguished researcher program
Distinguished Undergraduate Researchers from the Ourso College
Morgan Oen
BS International Trade & Finance
Spring 2024
Jackson Green
BS Economics
Summer 2020
Ariana Buckner
BS ISDS
Fall 2019
Business researchers in action
Vivian Liu (pictured at LSU Discover Day 2024) presented research on "Summertime Precipitation
Changes near Industrial Facilities along the Lower Mississippi River” at a symposium
held by the LSU College of the Coast & Environment in spring 2023. Working with Professor
Paul Miller, Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences, she continued to explore
the topic for her honors thesis and a presentation at LSU Discover Day in spring 2024.
Liu is now a data BI analyst at Textron Specialized Vehicles in Augusta, Georgia.
Paul Labbe (pictured at LSU Discover Day 2023) was awarded a monetary award (runner-up) for his research titled “Study of W.I.A.N. (What’s in a Name?)” chaired by Aaron Gleiberman, marketing instructor and research mentor. Labbe's work examined the length and structure of journal article titles to determine whether there is an optimal length and style.
He is now an assistant marketing manager at Front Line Consulting LLC in Austin, Texas. 
Ashlyn Puckett conducted research on trademark, copyright, and patent protection as it pertains to the fashion industry, particularly applying these protections to the rise of fast fashion, for her honors thesis.
“I encourage others to look into undergraduate research. You get a good feel for the
work you might be engaged in while working in that field of study. For those who might
be unsure about what career path they want to follow, research is a great way to investigate
your interests. For example, while I knew I wanted to go to law school before conducting
my research, this project piqued my interest in corporate law.”
She is now pursuing a law degree at Georgia State University.
"I think that people often misconstrue 'research' and stay away from doing research
altogether because of that. Research is simply finding new conclusions. It can be
as simple as connecting the dots of a few Google searches or reconciling data from
two sites and seeing how they relate to each other. This will look very different
across disciplines, but any student can do it at least as a starting point. LSU Discover
gives you the tools, resources, and mentors needed to embark on collaborative research
or your project. Being a business student puts you in an especially competitive position
for LSU Discover grants because most undergraduate researchers are in the biological
sciences or engineering, so I would encourage every business student to take a look
at it and give it a shot.”
Sam is now a public policy fellow at Google.
Madison Craig (pictured at LSU Discover Day 2022) worked with Associate Professor
Kris Lindsey Hall and Instructor Aaron Gleiberman on her honors thesis and LSU Discover
Day presentation titled “Attitudes, Purchases, and Usage of Lingerie among College
Women.” Craig received a monetary award (2nd place) for her research.
“Dr. Hall worked as my thesis advisor on my undergraduate honors thesis project. Without
her guidance and hard work, this project would not have been possible. This process
can be incredibly overwhelming for an undergraduate student, so it is necessary to
find a professor willing to be a heavily invested mentor passionate about the project
at hand. Not only did Dr. Hall advise me every step of the way, but she invested countless
hours out of her own time to contribute to the project. She went well above and beyond
what was required of her, because that is her true nature. She helped me to break
down this massive project into clear, consecutive, and manageable steps, while remaining
alongside me for every single one. She taught me the ins and outs of the research
process, from narrowing down a topic to collecting information for a literature review
to creating a study to collecting and analyzing data. She helped me to form insightful
connections from a sea of collected data that ultimately lead to our findings. These
findings were incredible, and I am immensely proud of the final paper.”
She is currently pursuing a Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
Caroline Crawford worked with faculty mentor Kurtay Ogunc, a senior instructor in the Department of Finance, on her honors thesis, “An Endogenous Solution for the Pension Fund Crisis.” She presented her work at the University of Lafayette and LaCOEUR's Annual Honors Undergraduate Research Conference at Harvard University.
She is now an account associate at PIMCO.
Finance major Jared Cyprian received an LSU Discover grant in fall 2020 and was selected as first among humanities, social sciences, mass communication, and business students in the 2021 LSU Discover Day Poster Competition. Guided by Kurtay Ogunc, a senior instructor in the Department of Finance, Jared studied “Hedge Fund Performance in Crisis vs Non-Crisis Economic Periods.”
Jared is now completing a year of service as an alumni service corps member at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory.
