Library Commons Named for Dr. Joseph M. Moerschbaecher, III
Former Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Graduate School Joseph
M. Moerschbaecher, III, PhD, left an indelible mark on the LSU Health Sciences Center,
making enormous contributions to health and science before his retirement in 2021 and passing due to complications from cancer shortly thereafter.
LSUHSC leadership and the Faculty Senate sought to create a suitable memorial to the respected and beloved champion of the health sciences center. In November, 2024, the library commons, an area of special significance to him, was renamed the Dr. Joseph M. Moerschbaecher, III, Library Commons. A ceremony to unveil the new name and displays was held for friends, family and colleagues and in conjunction with Graduate Research Day.
“Joe Moerschbaecher was more than an esteemed colleague, he was also a very dear friend,” said Dr. Steve Nelson, Chancellor of the LSU Health Sciences Center. “His dedication to our mission was always of paramount importance to him, and his commitment to academic goals was unmistakable and unwavering. It is incredibly fitting that the Library Commons is now named in his honor to reflect his dedication to students and our academic and research enterprise.”
Dr. Moerschbaecher joined the School of Medicine as an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology
and Experimental Therapeutics in 1983 and rose to department head in 1989. He co-founded
the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence. In 1998 he was promoted to Vice Chancellor
for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Studies, ultimately becoming the longest
to serve in that role. Over his long administrative career, Dr. Moerschbaecher remained
not only an active researcher with multiple NIH grants but also an award-winning teacher
who always prioritized his students’ education.
During and after Hurricane Katrina, Dr. Moerschbaecher remained on campus to safeguard both the students and the research enterprise, and was instrumental in maintaining the integrity of the Health Science Center’s academic programs after the storm.
“The entire campus had to be restored and brought back to life after Katrina. Part of that restoration included Joe’s vision for a special space for students to gather and study that would be open 24/7. The library commons is a result of his vision,” said Peter Winsauer, PhD, Assistant Dean of Basic Research and Professor of Pharmacology.
Today, the Dr. Joseph M. Moerschbaecher, III, Library Commons is an architecturally-unique space that was recognized in 2010 with the American Institute of Architecture’s New Orleans Design Award in the category of Interior Architecture.
“He designed the library to be a testament to the context and evolution of healthcare,” said School of Medicine Dean Dr. Richard DiCarlo. “Visitors immediately come across intricate panels that represent different cell types and display cases that house healthcare artifacts and items associated with Charity Hospital and the university. Joe really enjoyed choosing what would be displayed in the library, often loaning out items from his own collection.”
The large Enrique Alferez plaster frieze, The Conquest of Yellow Fever which was formerly housed in Charity Hospital, is now on display in the library as well.
“Joe shaped the careers and lives of more than 20,000 graduates,” said Nicole Baute Honoree, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Economic Development and Strategic Initiatives. “Those of us who were fortunate enough to have worked with him wanted to honor his decades of service and his unwavering dedication to the mission and academic goals of the institution.”