LSU Alumni Spotlight: Nathan Istre

Mike’s in the Army now

Before Lt. Nathan Istre (2020 BACH ENGR) ever served with the 21^st Theater Sustainment Command in Kaiserslautern, Germany, he commanded the attention of 102,000 fans in Tiger Stadium.

Istre, a U.S. Army environmental science/engineering officer, is part of the Surgeon’s Cell that provides preventative medicine support to operational units. “I wear a lot of different hats,” Istre said. “I am an adviser on the preventative medicine side (assisting) with the occupational health of soldiers.”

He grew into that wide-ranging set of medical responsibilities by gaining building blocks at LSU. Istre “bounced around on picking a degree plan before settling on a forever love of biological engineering.”

Discovering a Passion for Science

Working within the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine enabled Istre, a Killeen, Texas, native, to learn as an undergraduate researcher under the guidance of Dr. Shafiqul Chowdhury, a professor in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences. “That fostered my love for (researching) infectious diseases and epidemiology as a whole,” Istre said.

When Istre was not learning about infectious diseases as part of his undergrad workload, he had “100 percent fun 110 percent of the time” as a senior member of the Mike the Tiger mascot team. That included being part of the 2019 National Championship run by the football program and getting to participate in Washington D.C.’s Mardi Gras festivities.

Living the Life of Mike

Aside from the big events, the daily interactions with both kids and adults gave Istre a perspective that helped him through his early Army career stages. “Joining the Mikes, I thought: This is going to be really fun,” Istre said. “But it was also about managing schedules and meeting people.”

As Istre became more vocal and outgoing thanks to his Mike experiences, the range of soft skills served him well upon his graduation during the Coronavirus pandemic. Istre was familiar with military career paths and how they tied into medicine thanks to both of his parents, who are also LSU alumni. “My dad commissioned out of LSU, and my mom enlisted in the Navy before she went to LSU,” Istre said. “My mom is now a nurse on the outside (of the military).”

A Different Kind of Medicine

Istre spent nine months in an urgent care environment and later served in Alaska before heading to Germany. Istre’s preventative medicine work helps sustain and improve the mission readiness of the U.S. European Command (EUCOM), U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM). “Being a medic is challenging in its own right, and this brings a different sort of challenge,” Istre said. “Every day is a new problem set.”

Considering the potential impact of environmental health hazards on service members, Istre and his peers often perform soil, air, or water sampling to address disease risk. The face-to-face discussions with service members are a welcome duty for Istre. “Dealing with the soldiers here – it’s a fun bunch,” he said.

The Power of the LSU Family

Istre credits the university-wide LSU atmosphere for giving him a leg up in his military career. “At a lot of places you have a situation where the old eat the young,” Istre said. “LSU is the opposite. It fostered how I lead and am able to mentor people. It’s hard to get anywhere without all the people who have lifted you up.”

Istre witnessed that sense of community on campus at gymnastics meets, basketball games, sports press conferences, charity drives, and many other events. He looks back fondly on a singular experience that required many steps made in full costume on foot. “It was phenomenal to be able to go to all those different places, but as far as atmosphere … nothing beat home games at Tiger Stadium on a Saturday night.”