2018 in Review

The Top 10 LSU Engineering Stories This Year

December 18, 2018

BATON ROUGE, LA – The year 2018 was a momentous one in the history of the LSU College of Engineering, as the renovated and expanded Patrick F. Taylor Hall officially opened its doors in April. But there was much, much more that made it a special year for the LSU Engineering Family.

In no particular order are the top 10 stories from the College of Engineering this year, based on audience and media engagement.

Confetti falling at ribbon cutting ceremony1. College of Engineering Officially Opens New Facility, Largest Academic Building in Louisiana

On April 20, five years to the day that Phyllis M. Taylor announced she was making a $15 million gift to honor the legacy of her late husband, Patrick F. Taylor, and help kickstart the Breaking New Ground campaign to renovate and expand the building that bears his name, the LSU College of Engineering celebrated the grand opening of the new Patrick F. Taylor Hall today with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by building tours and engineering student demonstrations.

Full Story about PFT Ribbon Cutting

 

 

 

Three women working on computer2. Vision Quest

Three LSU Mechanical Engineering students designed temporary spectacles for students at the Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired until they are able to purchase a real pair. LSU ME seniors Macie Coker of Chalmette, La.; and April Gaydos of Hammond, La.; along with ME sophomore Lucy Guo of Baton Rouge; spent their free time on a project that will benefit nearly half of the 75 students at LSVI.

Full Story about Vision Quest

 

 

 

Two women posing in fire resistant jumpsuits3. Fire & Fashion

The saying goes that when one door closes, another opens. In the case of LSU Engineering alumna Jaime Glas, however, one door leads to another door that leads to another door with none closing behind her. Though she has degrees in petroleum engineering and finance from LSU, as well as extensive work experience in both fields, the 29-year-old felt she had another calling—fashion design. Realizing that women’s wear in the engineering field could use a little makeover, Glas began her emulsion of fire and fashion with HauteWork™ (formerly Hot Stuff Safetywear).

Full Story about HauteWork™

 

 

Man posing with robot4. LSU ME Student Secures $13K for Robotics Mentoring

LSU Mechanical Engineering student Brett Dupree may only be a junior when school starts in August, but he is already setting the bar high for what a leader should be. As co-chair of the College of Engineering’s Society of Peer Mentors Robotics Mentoring team, he recently secured a $13,000 grant from Dow Chemical to help teach robotics to high school students who could one day become LSU Engineers.

Full Story about Robotics Mentoring Team

 

 

 

View of new Panera location5. Panera Bread Open in Patrick F. Taylor Hall

LSU Dining announced the grand opening of its newest campus eatery, Panera Bread, in Patrick F. Taylor Hall on Monday, Aug. 13.

Full Story about Panera Opening

 

 

 

 

 

Professor pointing at sealant on ground6. Mind the Gap: LSU ME Professor Invents Asphalt Sealant

As any Louisianan knows, driving from point A to B can make for a rough ride. Many roads are full of potholes and cracks and in need of repair. A number of factors go into creating these craters and cracks in the concrete—climate, weather, and traffic, mainly. Looking to fill the gap, so to speak, is LSU Mechanical Engineering Professor Guoqiang Li. His team’s work with a shape memory polymer will potentially not only save the state’s roads but also money and time.

Full Story about Polymer Sealant

 

 

 

Professor Arges holding slide7. Breaking the Bond: LSU ChE Professor Creates Reactor-Separator to Upgrade Methane

A century ago, natural gas was not the hot commodity it is today. A byproduct of oil production, or fracking, natural gas is now abundant and low-cost, resulting in its high demand for energy production. The gas not only powers homes and cars, but the hydrocarbons that make up the gas, such as methane, can be converted and used for creating other products like fuel and plastic. The trick is separating, or breaking, the bond between carbon and hydrogen to make methane consumable. For the past year, LSU Chemical Engineering Assistant Professor Chris Arges has undertaken that very task.

Full Story about Reactor-Separator

 

 

Man and woman working on microscope8. LSU ME Professor Uses Smartphone to Detect Breast Cancer Gene

With increasing demand and pressure on healthcare budgets, progressive initiatives are being taken to make healthcare more patient-centered, reliable, accessible, and affordable. Point-of-care devices have become a cost-efficient and feasible way for people to monitor their own health, as opposed to waiting weeks for expensive test results. Seeing the many POC devices that already exist for diabetes, pregnancy, and other health conditions, LSU Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Manas Gartia wondered why there couldn’t be one for breast cancer genetic testing.

Full Story about Breast Cancer Detection with Smartphone

 

 

Two men pouring concrete into mold9. Bendable Concrete?

In the early 1990s, Victor Li, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Michigan, developed Engineered Cementitious Composites, also known as ductile or bendable concrete. More than 20 years later, researchers at LSU are close to bringing this material to mass adoption, producing a cost-effective ECC that utilizes readily available ingredients. Furthermore, through testing to-date, it has proven far superior to traditional concrete and could greatly improve the transportation infrastructure in this region.

Full Story about Bendable Concrete

 

 

Meagan Moore working on model of woman10. Phantom Project

At just 1 year old, she is 5 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 15 pounds. She can hold 36 gallons of water for up to eight hours. She has a detachable head but remains faceless. Her name is Marie, and no, this is not her online profile. For the past year, LSU Biological and Agricultural Engineering senior Meagan Moore of Baton Rouge has been working to 3D print the first actual-size “human body” for radiation therapy research. The Phantom Project, also known as Marie, will help test radiation exposure on a real-size human to figure out the best angle for dose distribution.

Full Story about the Phantom Project

 

 

 

Like us on Facebook (@lsuengineering) or follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@lsuengineering).​

###

Contact: Joshua Duplechain

Director of Communications

225-578-5706 (o)

josh@lsu.edu