Transitioning from his role as dean of science at Oregon State University, LSU’s new executive vice president and provost Roy Haggerty has plans to advance both student success and President Tate’s scholarship-first agenda.
Haggerty’s background as a hydrologist and Earth scientist connects well with the university’s efforts, he said, specifically as it relates to the coastal research focus of LSU President William Tate’s five-tiered mission that directs LSU’s efforts toward food and fiber production, health, the coast, defense and energy.
Haggerty believes the state should aim toward using fewer fossil fuels over time. LSU’s partnership with Shell is a good example of working toward a low carbon future, he said.
“Over the next decade or two, Louisiana needs to transition, while retaining a strong economy,” Haggerty said.
Shell recently gave LSU $27.5 million in June to establish an institute for energy innovation with plans to advance environmentally responsible energy.
Of the donation, $25 million will be used to set up the LSU Institute for Energy Innovation, and the rest will be dedicated to the Our Lady of the Lake Interdisciplinary Science building that will house LSU’s College of Science.
“The partnership with Shell is fundamentally about developing other forms of carbon-free or low-carbon energy not only for our energy environment, but also for our petrochemical environment,” Haggerty said.
He also shared a list of ideas to improve student success, including improvements to infrastructure and increased graduate student pay and benefits.
“All great universities generate knowledge, as I mentioned, they disseminate knowledge, but they also apply knowledge to improve people’s lives to solve problems in the real world,” Haggerty said.
On Title IX, Haggerty said that he is committed to bettering communication with the student body by holding monthly meetings with Student Government leadership, a practice he has already started in his first two weeks as provost.
“I made it clear to my staff that I want to be out and around campus whenever possible and whenever my schedule allows it, actually to prioritize it,” he said. “So I also look forward to direct communication with students in various settings.”
Haggerty’s plan for campus prioritizes the generation, application and preservation of knowledge, which is why he believes campus needs a new library. Despite LSU’s large size and high quantity of needed repairs, progress is still needed on the library, he said.
“I would like to see us double down on our efforts to improve the infrastructure here at LSU. The library is a good example of that,” haggerty said.
The LSU Campus Mounds, his favorite place on campus so far, is another example of the preservation of knowledge. The Native American mounds, estimated to be over 11,000 years old, might be the oldest surviving man-made structure in the Americas.
“Preservation of knowledge is tremendously important, and [we must] then make sure that we put all that knowledge to work for all people of Louisiana, all LSU students, regardless of the background they come from,” he said.
With his scientific background, he views the world through a scientific lens. This scientific lens doesn’t just apply to biology or chemistry, he explained, but the way we look at reality and society.
A hypothesis, Haggerty said, is just an explanation that you test and change if it doesn’t work out.
“I think science has an archetypally excellent way of thinking, and that’s what really attracts me to it,” he said.
In the short time that Haggerty has been at LSU, he quickly immersed himself into Louisiana’s culture, including its cuisine, having eaten at local favorites like Parrain’s Seafood and The Chimes.
“I took my first crack last night at home cooking gumbo so it turned out okay,” Haggerty said. ”Well, not as good as Chimes but it was pretty good!”
A fan of architecture, Haggerty has appreciated visiting the different buildings on campus, specifically calling the heart of the campus stunning.
He has also been gradually improving his wardrobe with purple and gold outfits in preparation for gamedays, he said while proudly repping his brand new LSU, fleur-de-lis tie to symbolize his new home, its eccentricities and all.
“I have to say, having a live tiger on campus is pretty cool,” Haggerty said.
