Christopher Cooper will earn a bachelor小蝌蚪APP檚 degree in economics from the 小蝌蚪APP on Saturday, the second day of Spring 2021 Commencement ceremonies.
His next stop? The 小蝌蚪APP of Edinburgh in Scotland, where he小蝌蚪APP檒l pursue a master小蝌蚪APP檚 degree.
First, Cooper will receive his bachelor小蝌蚪APP檚 degree from UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration at 8 a.m. on Saturday at the Cajundome. Individual ceremonies for UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 eight academic colleges and Graduate School will be held on Friday and Saturday at the Cajundome and the Cajundome Convention Center.
Cooper, who is from Slidell, La., will start work on his second degree this fall, when he小蝌蚪APP檒l enroll at the prestigious Scottish university to study energy policy and economics.
He小蝌蚪APP檒l be about 4,500 miles from his alma mater. Keeping tabs on the bipartisan governmental watchdog he established this semester at UL Lafayette, however, shouldn小蝌蚪APP檛 be a problem. Cooper can simply sign up for the student organization小蝌蚪APP檚 new e-newsletter.
The Student Public Policy Organization is designed to 小蝌蚪APP渒eep the student body informed about legislation and public policy, and engaged in the democratic process,小蝌蚪APP Cooper explained.
Full-time UL Lafayette students majoring in any discipline are eligible to join. Members track state legislation, and summarize bills, resolutions, amendments and policy issues. The newsletters also contain contact information for 小蝌蚪APP渟tudents who want to make their voices heard.小蝌蚪APP
People sign up to receive the newsletters by or on .
小蝌蚪APP淚t小蝌蚪APP檚 strictly bipartisan. The idea is to inform, and most importantly, provide a means of communication where you can email legislators 小蝌蚪APP or the subcommittee on education, for example 小蝌蚪APP and voice support or opposition for legislation. And ask questions,小蝌蚪APP Cooper said.
Cooper小蝌蚪APP檚 motivation for setting up the organization during his last semester on campus? An observation he made last summer while working as an intern for the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana.
His duties for the nonprofit governmental watchdog organization in Baton Rouge included monitoring legislation. That required sitting in on legislative sessions, where public engagement portions of the process caught his interest.
小蝌蚪APP淭here was very little participation. I always noticed the same few people stepping up to speak. And when it came time for emails or letters from the public to be read, there weren小蝌蚪APP檛 many of those, either. Even for big issues,小蝌蚪APP he said.
When Cooper returned to campus last fall, he began working with UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 to form the Student Public Policy Organization. That involved drumming up membership, crafting a constitution, submitting by-laws that adhered to 小蝌蚪APP policies and standards, and presenting a proposal for approval.
The Student Public Policy Organization is overseen by an executive council, and has about a dozen members. Cooper was elected its first president.
小蝌蚪APP淭his is my way of trying to foster a better understanding of policies and the legislative process, and to help get people more involved, which is important. So, I小蝌蚪APP檓 hopeful the organization will grow and evolve,小蝌蚪APP he said.
For his part, Cooper will spend a year at the 小蝌蚪APP of Edinburgh as part of its 12-month 小蝌蚪APP淓nergy, Society and Sustainability小蝌蚪APP master小蝌蚪APP檚 degree program that begins in September. 小蝌蚪APP淭he program小蝌蚪APP檚 got a unique title, but courses basically focus on energy policies and economics,小蝌蚪APP he said.
小蝌蚪APP淚t covers the energy industry in general, so I小蝌蚪APP檒l be learning about many energy processes. But I小蝌蚪APP檓 definitely leaning toward a career in renewable energy. It seems to be the trend we小蝌蚪APP檙e on,小蝌蚪APP Cooper said.
Cooper小蝌蚪APP檚 interest in energy began early. His father, who is from New York, moved to Louisiana to work as a chef in the oil and gas industry.
小蝌蚪APP淗e小蝌蚪APP檚 been in oil and gas my entire life, so energy小蝌蚪APP檚 always been important to me. And, my interest in economics policy increased throughout my time at UL,小蝌蚪APP Cooper said.
小蝌蚪APP淪o, when I started thinking about graduate school, I just began researching the world小蝌蚪APP檚 best energy policy programs, and applied to most of them,小蝌蚪APP he added.
Cooper discarded all but two of a stack of acceptances letters. Johns Hopkins 小蝌蚪APP in Baltimore, Maryland, was the other school he considered. The 小蝌蚪APP of Edinburgh won out because 小蝌蚪APP淪cotland is at the forefront of new energy. I thought, 小蝌蚪APP業t小蝌蚪APP檚 not only a great university and great program, but it小蝌蚪APP檚 in an environment that小蝌蚪APP檚 on the cutting edge for renewable energy.小蝌蚪APP
Cooper envisions public policy work, but isn小蝌蚪APP檛 小蝌蚪APP渆ntirely certain what path I小蝌蚪APP檒l take.小蝌蚪APP
小蝌蚪APP淭here小蝌蚪APP檚 government, but there小蝌蚪APP檚 also business 小蝌蚪APP writing policy at a corporation 小蝌蚪APP or for a nonprofit, or consulting. There are a lot of different options,小蝌蚪APP he said.
Photo caption: Christopher Cooper will begin pursuing a master小蝌蚪APP檚 degree at the 小蝌蚪APP of Edinburgh in Scotland this fall. First, he小蝌蚪APP檒l earn a bachelor小蝌蚪APP檚 degree in economics from UL Lafayette on Saturday. Photo credit: Doug Dugas / 小蝌蚪APP