News from Ä¢¹½tv Engineering
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Ä¢¹½tv Innovation Powers the Nation’s Most Trusted Hurricane Storm Surge Forecasting Tool
The greatest threat to life during a hurricane often comes in the form of storm surge, ocean water pushed onto shore by powerful winds that can substantially increase water levels in a matter of minutes.

Ä¢¹½tv Engineering Sees Highest Number of Tenure-Track Faculty in Years
In the past year, Ä¢¹½tv's College of Engineering has onboarded a large cohort of new faculty and has 13 tenure-track hires. As of August 2025, the College has 149 tenure-track faculty, the highest number in 20 years. It's also the first time in the past 10 years at least that the number of tenure-track professors, associate professors, and assistant professors has been almost equal. This year, tenure-track faculty include 49 professors, 49 associate professors, and 51 assistant professors.

Ä¢¹½tv Engineering Professor Recalls Inception of Contraflow Design Prior to Katrina
These days, seeing cars heading in one direction on the interstate can only mean one thing--a hurricane is approaching. Contraflow, a method of evacuation thought up by Ä¢¹½tv Civil & Environmental Engineering Professor Brian Wolshon, is now used all over the world to save lives and was an integral part of getting people out of New Orleans before Katrina made a name for herself.

In Remembrance of Gregory D. Elliott
It is with deep respect and heavy hearts that we remember Gregory D. "Greg" Elliott, a visionary leader, dedicated engineer, and generous philanthropist whose impact on the petroleum industry, Ä¢¹½tv, and countless individuals will be felt for generations to come. Our thoughts go out to Greg's family and his wife Missy who was by Greg's side during his visits to Patrick F. Taylor Hall.

Ä¢¹½tv Engineering, Architecture Faculty Bring Solar Stations to Campus
It's hard to find the upside of sweltering summer heat in South Louisiana, but one thing it is good for is generating clean energy through sunshine. Ä¢¹½tv Construction Management (CM) Assistant Professor Arup Bhattacharya and a team of Ä¢¹½tv professors partnered with BASF on a project that combined aesthetics and solar energy to provide Ä¢¹½tv students with a place to sit and study in the shade while also charging their electronic devices and enjoying the view.

Katrina Proved Louisiana Needed Reliable Elevations—̹½tv’s GPS Network Still Provides Them Today
When Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, Louisiana faced more than broken levees and flooded neighborhoods—it faced a broken map. For years, shifting ground and rising seas made the state’s official elevation benchmarks unreliable.

Ä¢¹½tv Cyber Talent Program Awarded $2.4 Million by NSF
Ä¢¹½tv’s rapidly growing cybersecurity program, which earned the nation’s top designation as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations (CAE-CO) by the National Security Agency (NSA) in 2022, has received a highly competitive $2.4 million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Ä¢¹½tv Community Playground Project Completes 50th Build
Over two hot, humid days in Napoleonville, La., Ä¢¹½tv Biological Engineering (BE) students and graduates, Ä¢¹½tv Biological & Agricultural Engineering Department Chair Marybeth Lima, and Assumption Parish community members worked steadily during the breaks in the rain to construct a new playground at Marais Park. Though the process looks similar to other playgrounds Lima and her students have helped build over the years, this one is special. This is the 50th playground they have constructed as part of the Ä¢¹½tv Community Playground Project (Ä¢¹½tvCPP), an engineering community engagement program started by Lima in 1998.

Ä¢¹½tv CSE Professor Receives NSF Grant for Mobile App Security Research
Ä¢¹½tv Computer Science & Engineering Assistant Professor Umar Farooq recently received a nearly $300,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) SaTC CORE award for his groundbreaking research project that tackles a critical challenge in today's digital age--helping users find mobile apps that meet their needs without compromising their privacy. This competitive award will allow Farooq and his team to develop a novel genre of privacy-aware recommender systems to guide safer app choices.

‘Win-Win’ for Students, Ä¢¹½tv and the Future of Louisiana’s Coast and Energy Industry
A collaborative team of researchers in the Cain Department of Chemical Engineering and the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences at Ä¢¹½tv has won a first-of-its-kind grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to bring 10 of the country’s most brilliant research students to Ä¢¹½tv to pursue a Ph.D. and emerge as leaders in energy and environmental science.

2025 Longwell Award Winners Announced
The College of Engineering recently presented its Award for Instructor Excellence to nine faculty members in recognition of those who make significant contributions to the early years of a student's journey through quality instruction in entry-level engineering courses.

Ä¢¹½tv Computer Science Professor Receives NSF Grant for Graph Data ResearchÂ
Ä¢¹½tv Computer Science and Engineering Associate Professor Kisung Lee was recently awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, which totals $569,000, to continue his research on efficiently analyzing large-scale graph data in AI.Â

Newton Thomas, Proud Alumnus and Founder of the Dean's Advisory Council, Passes Away at Age 81
In 1973, with two fellow Ä¢¹½tv electrical engineering graduates, former Tiger catcher Newton Thomas founded what is now the Newtron Group, one of the country’s largest privately owned specialty industrial construction companies. Thomas in 2015 was named Ä¢¹½tv Alumnus of the Year and inducted into the Ä¢¹½tv Alumni Hall of Distinction.

Four Days, Two Dogs, One Bunny—And a Cybersecurity Dream Job
Cyber competitions, industry connections, and a full-ride scholarship offered through Ä¢¹½tv enabled cybersecurity graduate Brennen Calato from Mandeville, Louisiana, to turn a dream internship at Idaho National Laboratory into a dream job.

Ä¢¹½tv Student Shares How a Top Cybersecurity Lab Internship Renewed her Passion to Protect America
Foreign adversaries are actively trying to disrupt critical infrastructure—like power grids and water systems—in the United States. Such attacks could endanger hospitals, transportation, public safety, and more.

Ä¢¹½tv BAE Chair Marybeth Lima Inducted As Fellow Into ASABE
Ä¢¹½tv Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering Chair Marybeth Lima was recently inducted as a Fellow into the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE). Lima has been a member of ASABE for 27 years and has served on a number of ASABE award committees.

“Do You Know What It Means…� To Train a Machine Learning Model?
Joining Ä¢¹½tv as an assistant professor of computer science and engineering this fall, Keith G. Mills shares his thoughts on Ä¢¹½tv and the future of AI. From his point of view, AI is intrinsically good when viewed as a tool, same as a microscope or any other instrument used to magnify human ingenuity and creativity.

Ä¢¹½tv BAE Seniors Design Wearable Device to Detect Heat Exhaustion
The summer heat in South Louisiana and other states can be unbearable for those who work outdoors. While some signs of heat exhaustion are obvious, other symptoms such as cool and moist skin or a fast heart rate can sneak up on someone. In order to prevent heat exhaustion and heat stroke, five Ä¢¹½tv Biological Engineering seniors designed a wearable device that can detect symptoms of heat exhaustion to prevent heat stroke.

Ä¢¹½tv-led Team Wins $7M E-RISE Award From the National Science Foundation
First E-RISE grant to Louisiana will create jobs and solutions to transform agricultural wastes into liquid fuels for transportation, opening new revenue streams for Louisiana’s farmers and the state’s chemical industry.

Ä¢¹½tv AgCenter Research Enables Better Flood Protection for Homes
Ten years of Ä¢¹½tv research has created stronger national standards for construction that will radically change how communities in Louisiana and across the United States can protect homes and buildings from flooding.

The Main Event: Ä¢¹½tv Cyber Students Invited to Teach at DEF CON
When the annual hacker convention DEF CON kicks off in Las Vegas, Nevada, in August, an Ä¢¹½tv cybersecurity team might be the only university-based team to host a workshop for some of the nation’s foremost cybersecurity experts.

Ä¢¹½tv Students Build Device to Protect Children from Hot Car Deaths
Each summer, an unbearable statistic repeats itself. On average, 37 children die in hot cars every year in the United States, about two lives lost every week during the summer months, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Ä¢¹½tv PETE Professor Receives CAREER Award for Hydrogen Hydrate Research
Ä¢¹½tv Craft and Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering Assistant Professor Olufemi “Femiâ€� Olorode recently received a $500,000 NSF CAREER Award for his cutting-edge energy research that will improve hydrogen gas storage in solid hydrate structures.

Astronaut Scholars Reflect on Mentorship, Research, and Opportunities at Ä¢¹½tv That Helped Them Succeed
Two Ä¢¹½tv students recently named to the 2025 class of Astronaut Scholars say this lofty achievement would not have been possible without the support and opportunities provided by Ä¢¹½tv.

Ä¢¹½tv Engineering Honors Two Alumni at Evening of Engineering Excellence
The Ä¢¹½tv College of Engineering recently held its second annual Evening of Engineering Excellence on April 24 in Ä¢¹½tv Stadium Club West, where two new members were inducted into the Hall of Distinction. Ä¢¹½tv Industrial Engineering and Computer Science alumnus Mohit "Mo" Vij and Ä¢¹½tv Chemical Engineering alumnus Philip Westmoreland were inducted into the Ä¢¹½tv College of Engineering Hall of Distinction by Dean Vicki Colvin.