Originally from Annecy, France, Luc was applying for funding at European universities when he decided to expand his academic search to the United States. After connecting with a biology researcher at UK, he decided to study for his doctorate here, focusing on stream ecology. Luc's studies at UK have paid great dividends - not only has he recently won four teaching awards, including the Provost's "Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award" (2019), he also met his wife as a fellow biology student at UK!

"The awards are the pinnacle of my stay here at UK," Luc said. "I had decided to focus more on teaching, I had sort of switched my primary interests from research to teaching, and people are telling me I'm doing a good job." After finishing his doctorate, Luc plans to live and work in North Carolina. He also holds a Master's in Behavior Ecology from the University of Burgundy in Dijon, France.

Luc credits the class "Writing for International Students", given by the Graduate School's Angela Garner, as essential to his success in his first year at UK. "Finding people who understand where you are coming from, and finding support through the Graduate School, through the Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT), and the libraries is essential," he said. Luc also benefitted from his involvement in the Graduate Student Congress, a great way to meet students of different backgrounds and interests. "Campus is not a foreign place anymore."