LSU Law Professor Chris Tyson has been selected as the recipient of the 2017 LSU Brij Mohan Distinguished Professor Award. This award recognizes a full-time associate professor who serves as a model for the community in demonstration of a commitment to peace, equality, and social justice.
Dean Tom Galligan said, “Professor Tyson’s commitment is best summed up in this excerpt from his nomination: ‘Professor Tyson has distinguished himself as an advocate and leader in Louisiana and beyond. His commitment to social justice is evident in his past and current pursuits as a prison educator; a youth mentor and founder of a social-justice oriented mentoring non-profit, the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition; and as a mass transit advocate. Professor Tyson has also given voice to the challenges of racial and spatial stratification in Baton Rouge. His focus on issues of metropolitan equity in Baton Rouge continues to be recognized both locally and beyond.'”
A scholar in the areas of state and local law, property and urban land use, Tyson is a youth mentor, founder of the social justice-oriented Baton Rouge Youth Coalition, actively involved in the Baton Rouge Big Buddy program, and mass transit advocate. He has penned op-ed pieces for the New York Times on race relations in the Baton Rouge community and has given talks on racial and spatial histories of Baton Rouge. He is being presented this award for his insight and leadership during critical times in our community.
