In the spring 2022 election, Tiffany Dang (McKinley ’19, LSU ’23) was chosen by her peers as their Council President representing LSU’s Ogden Honors College. Tiffany – a Stamps Scholar, LASAL Scholar, and biological sciences major – ran on the EVOLVE ticket, which also won the school-wide presidential seat. She’s making the most of her platform, not letting a moment go to waste.
“The Council recently hosted an amazing diversity event dedicated to highlighting minority organizations and resources on campus. We had the pleasure of hosting speakers like Dr. Jonathan Earle, Dean of the Honors College, the current student body president, and the student body president-elect, all of whom discussed the importance of representation and advocacy at LSU,” Tiffany shared.
Tiffany explained the biggest initiative she plans to take on in her new governmental role is increasing diversity and prioritizing equity within the Ogden Honors College. After voicing her concerns about the college’s demographics – largely white, affluent, and not representative of the entire LSU student body – Dean Earle asked to meet with Tiffany to talk more in depth about her proposed initiatives for increasing minority enrollment and retention.
“One initiative we plan to continue is omitting ACT score requirements, which put students with fewer resources, often low-income minorities, at a large disadvantage,” Tiffany said.
She added that petitioning to create more honors minority organizations like the Black Honors Initiative, recruiting more minority faculty to teach courses, and offering more resources and support for Honors students once enrolled are also on the docket for next year.
“Honors truly has my heart,” Tiffany said. “I look forward to helping bridge the gap between the progressive curriculum of the Honors College and its student demographic.”
Tiffany has been a BRYC mentor for two years, and she is now driving Honors College participation in BRYC’s partnership with the East Baton Rouge Parish School System (EBRPSS) to provide high-impact tutoring to all EBRPSS students. A 2021-2022 BRYC Health Fellow, Tiffany’s long-term goal is to become a practicing physician in the community serving marginalized and disadvantaged populations, employing a holistic lens of health equity and cultural competency.
