BATON ROUGE – For years, LSU students have been competing on the national stage for prestigious awards and scholarships, and this year is no exception. With two Truman Scholars, two Goldwater Scholars, an Udall Scholar, and numerous other accolades, LSU students are truly showing the nation what it means to “Live Gold.”

“We are proud of all of our scholars and honorees this year,” said Interim LSU President and Chancellor William Jenkins. “The number of students who receive national awards year after year speaks volumes about the quality and hard work of our students, faculty and staff. LSU is a top-notch performer on the national scene and our students have once again proven that they are second to none.”

LSU’s 2013 national scholars come from various backgrounds with a variety of research interests. Whether it’s researching a cure for AIDS, investigating the impact of storm surge on the coastline or seeking to better the lives of those in the Middle East, LSU’s scholars are working in areas with global impact.

The following is a sample of the awards LSU students won this year:

Truman Scholarship

BATON ROUGE – In the early 1980s with a dream of playing college basketball, F. King Alexander eyed LSU as a possible destination. While he ultimately played four years of college basketball for St. Lawrence University in New York, years later, he has been tabbed to “run the point” in a much larger capacity.

Alexander, president of California State University Long Beach, has been recommended by the Presidential Search Committee as the consensus candidate for the position of President of LSU.

“It is indeed a great honor for me to be nominated to be president of this very, very great and fine institution,” Alexander said. “I’m humbled that the Board of Supervisors would put their faith and trust in me to be the administrator of this great and important university with its reach to every parish throughout the state, from Shreveport to New Orleans.”

The president of Xavier University, Norman Francis,  will be the keynote speaker at a jazz brunch hosted by the Baton Rouge Chapter of the  Xavier University Alumni Association.

The brunch will be held March 24 from 11a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lod Cook alumni Conference Center, 3838 West Lakeshore Drive,  on LSU's campus in Baton Rouge. A silent auction will also be held.

Tickets are $50.  Proceeds will be used to fund scholarships.

For more information, call (225) 205-1544 or (225) 939-7346.  Tickets will also be available at the door.

Copyright 2013 WAFB. All rights reserved.