Lisa Batiste is the Founding Executive Director of The 15 White Coats®, where she built the organization’s programming model, strategic framework, and operational infrastructure from the ground up as its first employee. Her leadership has guided the evolution of the organization from a focused pilot initiative into a growing university partnership model designed to strengthen the transition from undergraduate education to medical school readiness.

With a background in chemistry and instructional design, Lisa’s career has consistently centered on building structured systems that translate complex academic standards into measurable student outcomes. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Southern University and later completed a Master of Education in Instructional Design and Technology, equipping her with both scientific rigor and expertise in learning design.

At Louisiana State University, Lisa developed the institution’s first comprehensive tutor training framework, laying the foundation for what later expanded into a university-wide online training system. She also collaborated with the National Science Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to help design nationally supported STEM pipeline initiatives that cultivated students toward doctoral research pathways through mentorship, experiential learning, and metacognitive engagement strategies. Her work in student development and institutional performance has been published in peer-reviewed scholarship and recognized nationally, including participation in the Gordon Research Conference and contributions to initiatives honored with the Presidential Award for Learning Centers in Higher Education.

In addition to executive leadership, Lisa has served in governance as Board Chair of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, where she provided strategic oversight for a multi-million-dollar human services organization delivering complex programming across disaster recovery, housing stability, immigration services, and mental health support.

Across every stage of her career, Lisa’s focus remains consistent: designing sustainable frameworks that cultivate intellectual confidence, strengthen institutional alignment, and create clear, performance-driven pathways forward. Through The 15 White Coats®, she continues to lead that work on a national scale."