Louisiana Research Collaborative
Friday, September 5
FACULTY, STAFF & STUDENT LOUISIANA IMPACT RESEARCH SUMMIT
CLICK HERE FOR THE AGENDA & SCHEDULE OF PRESENTATIONS FOR SEPTEMBER 5, 2025
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL SLIDE-DECK OF PRESENTATIONS FOR SEPTEMBER 5, 2025
ROUND #4
LOUISIANA IMPACT RESEARCH AWARDS
A Louisiana Research Collaborative Program
We are excited to announce the following Louisiana Impact Award Winners for Round #4, announced August 1, 2025. Round #4 includes 41 award recipients who will receive a total of $80,800. To date, 128 amazing projects and researchers have received more than $250,000 - and we are confident that there is more investing in our people, our place and our purpose to come. For the full story on this initiative and the Round #4 award winners, please see this story.
Faculty
Sercan Aygun – Assistant Professor, Computing & Informatics, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
ULL-HT: Unified, Low-Resource, and Language-Assisted Health Tool
Elena Babatsouli – Associate Professor, Communicative Disorders, College of Liberal Arts
Louisiana Family Language Use and Child Speech Developmental Norms in English
Ignatius Cahyanto – Associate Professor, Management, B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration
Visualizing Empowerment? Tourism and the Experiences of Ethnic Minority Women in Northern Vietnam
Caitlin deNux – Visiting Assistant Professor of Teaching, Geosciences, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
Terry Chambers – Professor, Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering
Evaluating Soil Health Improvements Utilizing Cover Crops in a Pre-Established Broccoli Production AV System in Louisiana
Natalie Keefer – Associate Professor, Education Curriculum & Instruction, College of Education & Human Development
Kathe Managan - Assistant Professor, Anthropology, College of Liberal Arts
Sustainable Economic and Cultural Development of Louisiana Business Practices in French and Creole
Mo Li – Assistant Professor, Mathematics, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
Multiple Changepoints Detection and Estimation in Cross-Sectional Time Series for Improving Livestock Production
Edward Patterson – Assistant Professor, Biology, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
Using Insect-Specific Viruses to Prevent Mosquitoes from Transmitting Arthropod-Borne Viruses
David Squires – Associate Professor, English, College of Liberal Arts
Isuru Rathnayake – PhD Student in English
Reading Ernest J. Gaines in the Archives
Yu Wang – Associate Professor, Chemistry, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
Advanced Smart Hydrogels for Selective and Regenerable PFAS Remediation in Water
Christine Weill – Assistant Professor, Communicative Disorders, College of Liberal Arts
Louisiana's View of Speech-Language Pathology Assistants
Andrea Westerband – Assistant Professor, Biology, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
Mitigating Environmental Stress Impacts on Louisiana’s Native Prairie Species
Graduate Students
Tamjeed Ahmed, PhD Student in Systems Engineering: Mechanical Engineering
Integrated Economic-Health Valuation of Backup Power Portfolios for Gulf-Coast Hurricane Shelters
Faculty reference: Solomon Yin, College of Engineering
Kunle Akinkuade – MSE Student in Chemical Engineering
Thermochemical Conversion of Plastic Wastes into Sustainable Bio-Oil
Faculty reference: Mark Zappi, College of Engineering
Nelly Ankrah – PhD Student in Systems Engineering: Civil Engineering
The Role of Road Weather Intelligent Systems in Enhancing Climate Resilience and Transportation Safety in Louisiana
Faculty reference: Julius Codjoe, College of Engineering
N I Md Ashafuddula – PhD Student in Computer Science
KI-M3T: Knee Injury-Adapted Medical Multi-Plane Multi-Slice Transformer Model for Advancing Healthcare Accessibility Through Accurate MRI Diagnosis
Faculty reference: Li Chen, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
Jacob Badcock – PhD Student in Environmental & Evolutionary Biology
Using Machine Learning to Detect Macrobenthic Regime Shifts in a Louisiana Estuarine Bay
Faculty reference: Craig McClain, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
Sajan Bhandari – PhD Student in Mathematics
Discrete-Time Refuge-Mediated Selection Model
Faculty reference: Azmy Ackleh, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
Xueao Cao, PhD Student in Communicative Disorders
Gulalek Charyyeva - PhD Student in Communicative Disorders
More Than Words: Supporting the Development of a Child with Communication Disabilities Through Engineering the Communicative Environment
Faculty references: Judith Oxley and Katherine McQuitty Hays, College of Liberal Arts
Lisa Dizon – PhD Student in Systems Engineering: Chemical Engineering
Bioreactor Scale-Up and Testing of Optimum Conditions to Enhance Methanotrophs’ Growth and Activity for Lipid Production
Faculty reference: Emmanuel Revellame, College of Engineering
Muhammad Towhidul Islam – PhD Student in Systems Engineering: Petroleum Engineering
Visualization of Hydrate Formation of Flowing CO₂ in Low-Temperature Water for CO₂ Disposal onto Seafloor
Faculty reference: Boyun Guo, College of Engineering
Asif Istiak – PhD Student in Systems Engineering: Mechanical Engineering
A Novel Nanocarrier-Driven Therapeutic Strategy for Inhibiting Tissue Damage in Degenerated Joint Disease
Faculty reference: Tanvir Faisal, College of Engineering
Chimezie Izuazu – PhD Student in Mathematics
Stochastic Analysis of Interplay Among Drug Mode of Action, Nutrient Availability, and Antibiotic Resistance
Faculty reference: Cameron Browne, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
Jenita Jahangir – PhD Student in Mathematics
Invading Populations by Infections in a Discrete-Time Compartmental Epidemic Models
Faculty reference: Amy Veprauskas, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
Afeez Jimoh – PhD Student in Earth & Energy Sciences
Computational Modeling of Ion Transport Dynamics in Ion Exchange Membranes for Sustainable Energy Systems
Faculty reference: Erez Aghion, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
Maria Lindquist – MS Student in Psychology
Shaping Attitudes Toward GLP-1 Drugs: The Impact of Realistic Advertisements on Disordered Eating Behaviors
Faculty reference: Manyu Li, College of Liberal Arts
Lovelyn Madu – PhD Student in Mathematics
Optimization and AI-Driven Advances in Detection Tools for Heart Disease and Cancers
Faculty reference: Bruce Wade, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
Sydney McDermott – PhD Student in Environmental & Evolutionary Biology
Observations of the Condition of Deep-Sea Benthic Communities in the Immediate Vicinity of the Deepwater Horizon Wreckage
Faculty reference: Craig McClain, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
Emily Mulcahy – MS Student in Biology
Growth of and Microzooplankton Grazing on Pico- and Nanoplankton Communities Along Environmental Gradients
Faculty reference: Beth Stauffer, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
Sohail Nawab – PhD Student in Systems Engineering: Petroleum Engineering
Microbial Hydrogen Production in Depleted Oil Reservoirs in Louisiana
Faculty reference: Ning Liu, College of Engineering
Jacob Norris – MS Student in Psychology
The Relationships Between Ego Depletion and Social Behaviors Across Different Degrees of Psychological Flexibility
Faculty reference: Emily Sandoz, College of Liberal Arts
Prince Obeng – PhD Student in Systems Engineering: Petroleum Engineering
Experimental Investigation of the Performance of Clay Inhibitor ZCHN71, ZCHN72, ZCHN73 on High and Low Reactive Clays
Faculty reference: Nelson Chavez, College of Engineering
Khairum Orthi – PhD Student in Earth & Energy Sciences
Understanding the Electron Transport Chain in Photosystem I During Photosynthesis
Faculty reference: Wu Xu, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
Tasnim Tabassum – PhD Student in Computer Science
Prevent Hospital Finance Failure: An AI-Powered System for Identifying Financial Risk
Faculty reference: Sonya Hsu, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
Mohammad Nezam Uddin – PhD Student in Systems Engineering: Petroleum Engineering
A Feasibility Study of Converting End-of-lifetime Oil and Gas Wells into Geothermal Wells
Faculty reference: Boyun Guo, College of Engineering
Gregory Williams – PhD Student in Systems Engineering: Civil Engineering
A Collaboratively Designed and Managed Flood Resilience Framework for Affected Communities in the Caribbean Region
Faculty reference: Emad Habib, College of Engineering
Postdoctoral Scholars
Courtney Poirier Chicola – Postdoctoral Researcher, NASA Regional Application Center and Department of Chemistry
Discovering the Early-Time Photodegradation Mechanisms of Emerging Contaminants in Marine Ecosystems
Xiaobo Lei – Postdoctoral Researcher, Energy Institute of Louisiana
Converting Invasive Giant Salvinia in Louisiana into Renewable Biomethane
Yihe Zhang – Research Scientist, Informatics Research Institute
Accelerating Universal Mental Health Access through AI-Powered Suicide Prevention
Undergraduate Students
Elizabeth Drell – Undergraduate Student in Psychology
Alcohol Intoxication as a Moderator of Bias Against Transgender Victims of Sexual Assault
Faculty reference: Amy Brown, College of Liberal Arts
Bree Landry – Undergraduate Student in Environmental Science, Digital Geography and Researcher with the NASA Regional Application Center
Tracking Troubled Waters: Community-Based Field Research with the AREN AquaROVER
Faculty reference: Courtney Poirier Chicola, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
Bailey Singleton – Undergraduate Student in Psychology
Consent in Media Consumption: Exploring Content Warnings as Accessibility through Sexual Assault Survivor's Perspectives
Faculty reference: Amy Brown, College of Liberal Arts
The program will continue forward as the Louisiana Impact: Louisiana Research Collaborative. Showcasing research aligned with the people, place, and purpose of Louisiana, the collaborative is a partnership between Academic Affairs, the Office of the Vice President for Research, Innovation & Economic Development, the Graduate School, the Office of Sustainability & Community Engagement, and Dr. Bolton. Dr. Bolton is a Professor of Finance and the Dwight W. Andrus, Jr. / BORSF Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair in Finance.
Louisiana Research Collaborative Awards Programs - Overview
The Louisiana Research Collaborative is a collection of research themes, platforms and programs designed to celebrate, amplify and reward the amazing research that is being done across the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus. The focus is Research in Louisiana, Research for Louisiana and Research by Louisiana. We choose to highligh different themes and programs at different times, based on where our work and can have the greatest impact, both on campus and across the Louisiana research ecosystem. Please check back regularly for announcements about new programs, events and awards.
In Spring 2023, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette awarded $40,800 in faculty research grants related to Sustainable Development - that is, research related to Human Wellbeing, Environmental Protection or Economic Growth - and to 17 Sustainable Development Goals. This initiative was a collaboration between 5 campus entities: Faculty Affairs (Dianne Olivier & Kiwana McClung), the Graduate School (Mary Farmer-Kaiser and Philip de Mahy), the Office of Sustainability & Community Engagement (Gretchen Vanicor), the Office for Research, Innovation & Economic Development (Ramesh Kolluru) and Brian Bolton, Professor of Finance and the Dwight W. Andrus, Jr. / BORSF Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair in Finance.
This program has several key goals: (1) to celebrate the amazing research being done across the UL Lafayette campus, (2) to show how vital research on sustainable development is for Southern Louisiana and the Gulf Coast Region, and (3) to create a platform to share research and to encourage collaborations where faculty can help solve some of society's greatest challenges. This Program is expected to have at least 4 rounds of research and awards.
In Round #1 in Spring 2023, we rewarded 19 faculty projects. We identified 4 "Ambassadors," senior faculty who will take on additional responsibilities of leading this work going forward and 15 "Fellows." All 19 faculty presented their research at the 2024 Faculty Sustainable Development Research Summit on March 8, 2024. The full list of faculty award recipients and their research projects is provided below; links to the Summit Program and Presentations are also posted below.
In Round #2 in Winter 2023-Spring 2024, we rewarded 22 graduate student projects with $2,000 each, for a total of $44,000 in awards. These 22 graduate students represent both Doctoral and Master programs from 13 different graduate programs across campus. All 22 students presented their research at the 2024 Graduate Student Sustainable Development Research Summit on April 12, 2024. The full list of graduate student recipients and their research projects is provided below; links to the Summit Program and Presentations are also posted below.
In Round #3 in Spring-Summer 2024, we selected 46 projects for awards worth a total of $90,600. We had 126 proposals submitted and we were able to award 46 projects (to 53 people), thanks in part to matching funds from the Office of the Vice President for Research, Innovation & Economic Development. This portfolio of 46 projects includes 17 Faculty projects, 19 Graduate Student projects, 4 Staff projects and 6 Undergraduate Students projects. In addition, the 4 faculty advisors of the 6 Undergraduate projects received a $5,000 Advance Research Support Grant. All recipients will get to present their work at a to-be-determined event during the 2024-2025 academic year.
In Round #4 in Spring-Summer 2025, we selected 41 projects for awards worth a total of $80,800. We had 117 proposals submitted; again, thanks in part to matching funds from the Office of the Vice President for Research, Innovation & Economic Development, we were able to reward 41 amazing projects.This round of competition recognizes the work of 11 faculty members and 25 graduate students, as well as several undergraduate students and postdoctoral scholars, for innovative projects spanning disciplines from engineering and computer science to communicative disorders and English.
Since 2022, the program has invested more than $250,000 to support 128 faculty, graduate, undergraduate, and staff-led projects. In total, 385 proposals have been submitted from across all seven academic colleges, demonstrating the remarkable breadth of research being conducted on the UL Lafayette campus.
Beginning in 2025, the program will continue forward as the Louisiana Impact: Louisiana Research Collaborative. Showcasing research aligned with the people, place, and purpose of Louisiana, the collaborative is a partnership between Academic Affairs, the Office of the Vice President for Research, Innovation & Economic Development, the Graduate School, the Office of Sustainability & Community Engagement, and Dr. Bolton. Dr. Bolton is a Professor of Finance and the Dwight W. Andrus, Jr. / BORSF Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair in Finance. We look forward to continuing to highlight, celebrate and amplifying the incredible work our University scholars are creating.
The 2024 Round #3 Sustainable Development Research Award Recipients:
DOWNLOAD THE FULL SCHEDULE OF THE APRIL 11, 2025 GRADUATE STUDENT
Staff
Blair Begnaud, Assistant Director, Office of Sustainability
Gretchen Vanicor, Director, Office of Sustainability
Jonathan Brown, Coordinator, Office of Sustainability
Data Informed Decision Making: Making the Case for Bicycle & Pedestrian Infrastructure Improvements Around the UL Lafayette Campus
Jonathan Shirley, Program & Operations Manager, Louisiana Entrepreneurship & Economic Development Center (LEED), Graduate Student, EdD, Educational Leadership
Kevin Guillory, Operations & Community Engagement Coordinator, Louisiana Entrepreneurship & Economic Development Center (LEED
Educating & Cultivating the Heart of an Entrepreneur
Liz Skilton, Associate Director of Research, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Public Policy Center & Associate Professor of History
Elevating Coastal Community Solutions: Southwest Louisiana Nonstructural Modification Projects & Their Impact on Communities
Gretchen Vanicor, Director, Office of Sustainability
Kiwana McClung, Professor of Architecture
Amy Pousson, Graduate Student, Master of Architecture
Universal Design for Universities: Identifying Barriers to Accessibility, Inclusion & Sustainability
Faculty
Lauren Auverset van Gerwen, Assistant Professor of Communications, College of Liberal Arts
Enhancing Neurodiverse Student Retention and Success Through Belonging, Inclusiveness & Self-Determination
Virgile Beddok, Associate Professor of English, College of Liberal Arts
Settling St. Malo - The Movie
Ignatius Cahyanto, Associate Professor of Management, College of Business
Regenerative Rural Tourism in Bali: Community Capitals and Vulnerabilities
Jeanne Cartier, Professor of Nursing, College of Nursing
Increasing Students' Understanding of the Complexities & Challenges of Living in Poverty Through an Experiential Learning Activity: The Community Action Poverty Simulation
Beenish Chaudry, Assistant Professor of Computing & Informatics, College of Engineering
How Well Do Clinical Terminologies Represent Climate-Related Illnesses of Low Socio-Economic Communities: A Gap Analysis
Sebnem Cilesiz, Professor of Education, College of Education & Human Development
Emily Sandoz, Professor of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts
When the Going Gets Tough: Examining Perspectives on Resilience Across University Stakeholders
Md Tanvir Rahman Faisal, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering,College of Engineering
Machine Learning Based Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Surrogate for Hip Fracture Risk Assessment & Visualization
Hsiu-Yueh Hsu, Associate Professor of Computing & Informatics, College of Engineering
Advocating Responsible Artificial Intelligence
Mohammad Jamal Khattak, Professor of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering
Development of Green Construction Material Using Locally Available Rice and Sugarcane Industrial Byproducts
Jennifer Lemoine, Professor of Nursing, College of Nursing
Incorporating Pregnancy Intention and Sexual Health Assessment Screening into an Urban Primary Care Setting
Craig McClain, Professor of Biology, College of Sciences
Conserving Louisiana's Estuarine Bays: Monitoring Benthic Ecosystems and Food Webs
Nathan Rabalais, Associate Professor of Modern Languages, College of Liberal Arts
Cultiver Notre Jardin: Rethinking 'Traditional' Cajun and Creole Foodways
Clancy Ratliff, Professor of English, College of Liberal Arts
Saving Species, Saving the Climate: Poetic Inquiry and Environmental Advocacy Rhetoric
Maria Seger, Associate Professor of English, College of Liberal Arts
Black Criminalization & Carceral Labor in the New South
Meng Ru Shih, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, College of Liberal Arts
The Impact of Witnessing Street Violence on Immigrant Youth: The Issue of Inequality Among Immigrants
Robyn Zerebecki, Assistant Professor of Biology, College of Sciences
Investigating How Tidal Inundation and Plant Composition Influence Black Mangrove (Avicennia Germinans) Growth) and Survival to Inform Coastal Restoration Practices
Rui Zhang, Associate Professor of Geosciences, College of Sciences
Monitoring Ground Water Level by Turning the Fiber Optical Network on UL Lafayette Campus into a Distributed Acoustic Sensor (DAS)
Graduate Students
Ayodeji Adeyemo, Master, Informatics, College of Sciences
Identification of Sex of Megafauna (Killer Whales) in a Population Using Artificial Intelligence
Michael Totaro, faculty reference
Abdullah Al-Musayeb, Master, English, College of Liberal Arts
The Loss of Land, and Biodiversity in Louisiana’s Chitimacha Landscape: An Eco-critical Analysis of Stouff’s Losing Home: A Native Waters Compendium
Laurel Ryan, faculty reference
Wilbur Bennett, PhD, Applied Language Speech Sciences, College of Liberal Arts
Maintaining Our Voices: Collaborative Preservation of Cajun and Creole Dialects for Individuals with Neurodegenerative Diseases
Christine Weill, faculty reference
Morteza Bodaghi, PhD, Systems Engineering, College of Engineering
A Multimodal Intermediate Fusion Network with Manifold Learning for Stress Detection
Raju Gottumukkala, faculty reference
Kirsten Cases, Master, Architecture, College of the Arts
Indoor Environmental Quality in Educational Facility: Enhancing the Health and Comfort for Students in UL Lafayette
Mehdi Ghiai, faculty reference
Jenita Jahangir, PhD, Mathematics, College of Sciences
The Interplay Between Multiple Control Mechanisms in a Host-Parasitoid System: A Discrete-Time Stage-Structured Modeling Approach
Amy Veprauskas, faculty reference
Sherbaz Khan, PhD, Systems Engineering, College of Engineering
Performance Evaluation of Hybrid Hot Mix Asphalt Mixtures for Durable Louisiana Roads
Jamal Khattak, faculty reference
Waseem Akhtar Khan, Master, Civil Engineering, College of Engineering
Evaluating Louisiana’s TIM and Analyzing Factors Impacting Crash-Related Incidence Clearance Time
Milhan Moomem, faculty reference
Hisham Mahmood, Master, Business Administration, College of Business
AI-Powered Sustainable Marketing: Catalyst for Economic Expansion
Geoff Stewart, faculty reference
Md Nahin Mahmood, PhD, Petroleum Engineering, College of Engineering
Carbon Dioxide Storage in Marine Gas Hydrate Reservoirs Using Geothermal Energy
Boyun Guo, faculty reference
Sydney McDermott, PhD, Environmental & Evolutionary Biology, College of Sciences
Long Term Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Hard Substrate Deep-Sea Communities
Craig McClain, faculty reference
Tarikul Islam Milon, PhD, Earth & Energy Sciences, College of Sciences
Development of TSR-based Method for Probing Interaction Between Drug and Target Protein
Wu Xu, faculty reference
Amy Pousson, Master, Architecture, College of the Arts
Mendenhall Meadery and Apiary
Corey Saft, faculty reference
Nicole Pyke, Master, Psychology, College of Liberal Arts
Sober and Serene: The Mediating Role of Psychological Flexibility in the Relationship Between Substance Use Recovery and Posttraumatic Growth
Emily Sandoz, faculty reference
Jennifer Raabe, PhD, Environmental & Evolutionary Biology, College of Sciences
Using Valvometry to Study Eastern Oyster Behavior in Response to Low Salinity and Toxigenic Cyanobacteria
Beth Stauffer, faculty reference
Araf Mim Ahmed Smrity, PhD, Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering
Optimizing Stability and Efficiency of Hybrid Nanofluids: A Molecular Dynamics Approach for Sustainable Economic Growth and Environmental Protection
Solomon Yin, faculty reference
Diana Alejandrina Taj, PhD, Earth & Energy Science, College of Sciences
Understanding the Influence of Acute Saltwater Intrusion Events on Methane and CO2 Fluxes from Freshwater Wetland Vegetation Patches
Jorge Villa Betancur, faculty reference
Mohammad Tajdin, EdD, Educational Leadership, College of Education & Human Development
Understanding Issues Related to Mental and Physical Well-Being of Doctoral Students
Sebnem Cilesiz, faculty reference
Kevin Torgensen, PhD, Environmental & Evolutionary Biology, College of Sciences
Highlighting Global Conservation Priorities for Freshwater Fishes Using New Methods of 3D Photogrammetry
James Albert, faculty reference
Undergraduate Students
Gabrielle Hoffpauir-Rosatto, Creative Writing major, College of Liberal Arts
Zeta McCaskill, Journalism major, College of Liberal Arts
Kaori Rodney, History major, College of Liberal Arts
Southwest Louisiana LGBTQ+ Archive at the Guillbeau Center
Marissa Petrou, faculty advisor
Joseph Kolb, Environmental Science major, NASA/UL Lafayette Regional Application Center
Urban Heat Island Effect: A Comparative Analysis of Household Income and Land Surface Temperatures
Brent Yantis & Courtney Chicola, faculty advisors
Bree Landry, Environmental Science, Digital Geography major, NASA/UL Lafayette Regional Application Center
Roaming with the TerraROVER
Brent Yantis & Courtney Chicola, faculty advisors
Gracie Latiolais, Nursing major, College of Nursing
Haneen Muthana, Health Services Administration major, College of Nursing
Evaluating Interprofessional Education and IPE Readiness with Nursing and Health information Management Students at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Tierney Beebe, faculty advisor
Billy Poirier, Water Resourses & Environmental Engineering major, NASA/UL Lafayette Regional Application Center
STELLA and Beyond
Brent Yantis & Courtney Chicola, faculty advisors
Hayden Smith, Environmental Science major, NASA/UL Lafayette Regional Application Center
Vanishing Marshes, Fading Redfish: Louisiana's Dual Ecological Crisis
Brent Yantis & Courtney Chicola, faculty advisors
The 2024 Graduate Student Sustainable Development Research Award Recipients:
DOWNLOAD THE FULL SCHEDULE OF THE APRIL 12, 2024 GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH SUMMIT
Jahidul Alam English (Ph.D.)
Francis Bacon and Early Modern Environment: Exploring How Salomon’s House Refutes His Anthropocene
SDGs 6, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
Faculty Reference: Clancy Ratliff
Leticia Andrus Educational Leadership (Ed.D.)
Diversity Beyond Borders: A Literature Review of the Representation of International Students in Diversity Discourses in American Universities
SDGs 4, 8, 16, 17
Faculty Reference: Sebnem Cilesiz
Bipin Bastakoti Environmental Resource Science (M.S.)
Soil Health Degradation in the Vermilion-Teche Basin of Louisiana
SDGs 2, 8, 13, 15
Faculty Reference: Durga Poudel
Presious Batubo Earth and Energy Science (Ph.D.)
Analyzing Sedimentary Deposits to Reconstruct Medium-sized Paleo-Tsunami Using Deep Neural Networks
SDGs 9, 11
Faculty Reference: Gabriele Morra
Katarina Brankovic Francophone Studies (Ph.D.)
Building a Culture of Inclusivity, Diversity, and Accessibility: Advancing Sustainability at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
SDGs 4, 11, 16
Faculty Reference: Carol Landry
Markashia Brown Educational Leadership (Ed.D.)
What Do We Already Know About the Financial Literacy of Women & First-Generation African-American Women Students
SDGs 4, 5, 8, 10
Faculty Reference: Amanda Mayeaux
Redeemer Buatsi Communication (M.S.)
Reporting Rape in the United States-A Content Analysis of Media Coverage of Rape in the State of Louisiana
SDGs 3, 5, 16
Faculty Reference: Patricia Holmes
Kirsten Cases Architecture (M.Arch)
Reacclimating Neglected Infrastructure Through Stabilizing Carbon Dynamics
SDGs 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17
Faculty References: Corey Saft & Olivia Pontiff
Link to Kirsten Cases' project on Adaptive Reuse
Allison Comeaux Educational Leadership (Ed.D.)
How Do Post-Secondary Disability Service Accommodations in the U.S. Impact Educational Attainment
SDGs 4, 16
Faculty Reference: Amanda Mayeaux
Anamika Das English (M.A.)
Application of Natural Semantic Metalanguage in Cross-Cultural Meaning Analysis: Comparing the Usage of Bangla Happy Greetings with American English
SDGs 4, 10, 16, 17
Faculty Reference: Mark Honegger
Shayan Ebrahimi Systems Engineering (Ph.D.)
Accelerating Decarbonization through Digital Twinning
SDGs 7, 9, 12
Faculty Reference: Farzad Ferdowsi
Kubiat George Engineering: Chemical (M.S.)
Synergistic effect of UV and Condensation on the Degradation of Carbon Black Reinforced EPON-IPD Thermosets with With Enthalpy Storage of Shape Memory
SDGs 2, 6, 9, 11
Faculty Reference: William Chirdon
Holly Heafner Environmental Resource Science (M.S.)
Environmental Inequities and Lead Toxicity: A Geospatial and Demographic Evaluation of Soil Contamination in Lafayette, LA
SDGs 3, 4, 10, 11, 16
Faculty Reference: Anna Paltseva
Atif Khan Engineering: Civil (M.S.)
Utilization of Sugarcane Bagasse Ash and Rice Husk Ash in Sustainable Construction Bricks
SDGs 7, 8, 9, 11, 12
Faculty Reference: Md. Jamal Khattak
Farooq Azam Khanzada Systems Engineering (Ph.D.)
Does Automated Enforcement at Signalized Intersections Truly Enhance Safety?
SDGs 11
Faculty Reference: Xiaoduan Sun
Deepak Jain Veerendra Kumar Systems Engineering (Ph.D.)
Advancing Soiling Loss Predictions in PV Systems with Enhanced Models
SDGs 7, 13
Faculty Reference: Terry Chambers
Tyrell Lassair Earth and Energy Science (Ph.D.)
Urban Agriculture as a Strategy to Increase Food Access and Alleviate Food Insecurity
SDGs 2, 3, 4
Faculty Reference: Anna Paltseva
Lillian Mambiri Systems Engineering (Ph.D.)
Bio-fabrication via Stereolithography of 4D Polycaprolactone-based Scaffolds for Osteogenesis, Angiogenesis and Tumor Mechanobiology
SDGs 1, 3, 10, 12
Faculty Reference: Dilip Depan
Mahpara Mashiyat Earth and Energy Science (Ph.D.)
Observations of Structural and Functional Changes in Mineral and Organic Soil Wetlands Caused by Saltwater Intrusion Events in Louisiana
SDGs 13, 14, 15
Faculty Reference: Jorge Villa
Tasnima Supty Biology (M.S.)
Impact of Childhood Adversity on Neuroinflammation: Exploring the Connections & Implications
SDGs 3, 4, 8, 11, 16
Faculty Reference: Karen Smith
Jon-Patric Veal Psychology (M.S.)
How Variations in Perspective Taking Can Mediate the Effects of Empathy on Implicit Racial Bias
SDGs 10, 16
Faculty Reference: Emily Sandoz
Renee Vincent English (Ph.D.)
When DNR Means 'Do Not Rescue': Hurricane Katrina and Medical Inequity within Disaster
SDGs 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 17
Faculty Reference: David Squires
The 2023 Faculty Sustainable Development Research Award Recipients:
DOWNLOAD THE FULL PROGRAM FOR THE MARCH 8, 2024 FACULTY RESEARCH SUMMIT
DOWNLOAD THE FULL SLIDE-DECK OF THE MARCH 8, 2024 FACULTY RESEARCH SUMMIT (in PDF)
Faculty Ambassadors:
James Albert - Professor - Biology, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
Documenting Body-Shape in Riverine Fishes
SDGs: 6, 15
Emad Habib - Professor - Civil Engineering, College of Engineering
Fostering Flood-Resilient Communities: Integrating Hydrodynamic Modeling, Socio-Economic Risk Assessment, and Inclusive Communication
SDGs: 6, 9, 10, 11, 13, 16
Liz Skilton - Associate Professor - History, College of Liberal Arts
The Sustainability of Coastal Restoration: Tracking Community Understandings of Restoration Projects at 5 or More Years
SDGs: 8, 11, 13, 14, 15
Heather Stone - Associate Professor - Educational Curriculum & Instruction, College of Education & Human Development
Isle of Memories: Stories of the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw
SDGs: 4, 10, 16"
Link to Dr. Stone's film on this topic
Faculty Fellows:
Stephanie Arceneaux - Senior Instructor - LHC Group - Myers School of Nursing
Education of Nursing Students on Human Trafficking Improves Knowledge
SDGs: 5, 11
Emily Blosser - Assistant Professor - Sociology, College of Liberal Arts
Food for Thought: Exploring the Impact of Food on Sustainable Development Goals Using a Podcast
SDGs: 2, 3, 5, 10, 12, 13, 15
Ling Fei - Assistant Professor - Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering
A 3D-Printed, Freestanding Si/Carbon Composite Lattice for Li-Ion Batteries
SDGs: 7, 11
Tori Flint - Associate Professor - Educational Curriculum & Instruction, College of Education & Human Development
Literacies Beyond Bars: (Re)claiming and (Re)imagining Identities Through Multimodal Family Literacy Practices
SDGs: 4, 16
Randy Gonzales - Associate Professor - English, College of Liberal Arts
Filipino Food, Louisiana Ingredients
SDGs: 2, 12
Liane Hancock - Associate Professor - Architecture, College of the Arts
Serving the Under-served: Building Resiliency for Manufactured Homes across the Coastal South
SDGs: 1, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 17
Emily Kane - Assistant Professor - Biology, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
You’ll Never Look at a Roadside Ditch the Same After This! Small, Boring Fish Make a Big Impact on Pest Control
SDGs: 3, 5, 6, 11
Link to Dr. Kane's video on this research
Do Kyun David Kim - Professor - Communication, College of Liberal Arts
Measuring the Duration of Flood Risk Perception and Recommendations for Sustainable Development: Climate Change, Natural Disaster, and Community Education for Preparation
SDGs: 4, 10, 11, 13
Manyu Li - Assistant Professor - Psychology, College of Liberal Arts
Cultivating a Sense of Belonging for Inclusive and Equitable Education: From Research to Application
SDGs: 4, 10, 16
Marietta Adams - Assistant Professor - Educational Curriculum & Instruction
Aimee Barber - Assistant Professor - Educational Curriculum & Instruction
Amanda Mayeaux - Associate Professor - Educational Foundations & Leadership, Education & Human Development
Nathan Roberts - Professor - Educational Foundations & Leadership, Education & Human Development
Lactation Policies and the K-12 Teacher Workforce: A Law and Policy Analysis to Determine a Model Policy to Encourage and Support the Recruitment and Retention of Female Teachers
SDGs: 3, 4, 5, 8
Emily Sandoz - Professor - Psychology, College of Liberal Arts
Promoting Appetitive Learning of Consensual, Empowered Vulnerability: A Contextual Behavioral Conceptualization of Intimacy
SDGs: 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 16, 17
David Squires - Assistant Professor - English, College of Liberal Arts
‘Proof That We Ever Was’: Exhibiting the Ernest J. Gaines Center Collections
SDGs: 4, 10, 16
Yu Wang - Assistant Professor - Chemistry, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
Development of Novel Water Purification Materials for the Removal of Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs)
SDGs: 6, 11
Holly Damico - Associate Professor - Communicative Disorders, College of Liberal Arts
Ryan Nelson - Professor - Communicative Disorders, College of Liberal Arts
Christine Weill - Associate Professor - Communicative Disorders, College of Liberal Arts
Investigating Our Legacy: Twenty Years of Language and Literacy Projects in Southwest Louisiana
SDGs: 1, 4, 10
Yung-Hsing Wu - Professor - English, College of Liberal Arts
‘Reading Race with Oprah’: A Conference Panel
SDGs: 4, 5, 8, 16
Contacts:
Office of Academic Affairs
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Dr. Dianne Olivier
- Interim Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs
- Formerly, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Office of Faculty Affairs
- Professor of Educational Foundations and Leadership
- dianne.olivier@louisiana.edu
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Kiwana McClung
- Professor of Architecture, SLEMCO / LEQSF Regents Professor in Art & Architecture II
- kiwana.mcclung@louisiana.edu
The Graduate School
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Dr. Mary Farmer-Kaiser
- Dean of the Graduate School
- Professor of History
- mary.farmer-kaiser@louisiana.edu
Office of Sustainability & Community Engagement
-
Gretchen Vanicor
- Director of Sustainability & Community Engagement
- gretchen.vanicor@louisiana.edu
Brian Bolton (brian.bolton@louisiana.edu)
This page is maintained by Brian Bolton, Professor of Finance and the Dwight W. Andrus, Jr. / BORSF Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair in Finance at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.