Sylvester graduates with honors

Christopher Sylvester, son of Dr. Carl and Sally Sylvester, graduated from the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering and the Ogden Honors College at Louisisana State University with a bachelor’s of science in biological engineering on May 15. Sylvester is one of 16 to graduate summa cum laude from the college of engineering for his GPA of 3.957. Additionally, he is one of 33 to graduate with college honors for the completion of course work and the research, compilation and defense of his thesis. Sylvester was active in research throughout his undergraduate career and has published work in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Applied Colloids and Interfaces. He is also one of 53 to win the distinction of being an LSU Distinguished Communicator for displaying excellent communication and leadership skills and creating an online portfolio demonstrating his undergraduate experiences. Sylvester served as president of the Biological Engineering Student Organization and was active in a number of honors organizations, including the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, the honors society of Phi Kappa Phi and the engineering honors society Tau Beta Pi. During his undergraduate career, Sylvester won several awards, including the Ogden Honors College scholarship for promising national scholars and was nominated Senior of the Year for the Phi Kappa Phi class of 2015. Sylvester graduated from Sacred Heart High School in Ville Platte as valedictorian of the class of 2011. He will pursue further education at a Medical Scientist Training Program funded by the National Institutes of Health. As part of the program, he will receive his Doctorate of Medicine from Baylor College of Medicine and a PhD from Rice University Department of Bioengineering. Sylvester plans to make a career studying tissue engineering for clinical applications in regenerative medicine.