LSU Reached New Heights in 2024; Revisit Our Top Research Wins

Transformational Grant

LSU-led Team Wins Largest Grant Ever Awarded by U.S. National Science Foundation

Led by LSU, Future Use of Energy in Louisiana (FUEL) is a growing team of universities, community and technical colleges, state agencies, and industry and capital partners with an aligned vision for positioning the state to lead the global energy expansion.

“Leading the FUEL team and being selected for this transformational grant affirms what we already knew – that LSU is one of the nation’s premier research universities, poised to change the lives of the people of Louisiana and the world,” LSU President William F. Tate IV said.

Funded by a groundbreaking $160 million award from the National Science Foundation, announced in January, FUEL partners are working together to advance the nation’s capacity for energy innovation through:

• use-inspired research and development that will impact our everyday lives;
• workforce development to protect current jobs and create new ones;
• and technology commercialization that will transform ideas into products for the marketplace.

STEM Win

Our Lady of the Lake Health Interdisciplinary Science Building rendering

LSU Breaks Ground on Our Lady of the Lake Health Interdisciplinary Science Building

In March, LSU broke ground on the Our Lady of the Lake Health Interdisciplinary Science Building, having achieved a $148 million funding goal to expand research and teaching laboratories in science fields.

Once constructed, the new building will be a nearly 200,000-square-foot, four-story epicenter for academics, research and industry collaboration and able to accommodate as many as 1,150 students, faculty and researchers at a time.

The facility will be located at the corner of South Stadium Drive and Tower Drive on LSU’s flagship campus in Baton Rouge, with a projected opening of late fall 2025. 

Advancement of Science

AAAS Recognizes Four LSU Faculty Members

The American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows is a distinguished group of scientists, engineers, and innovators recognized for their achievements across multiple disciplines.

A tradition dating back to 1874, election as an AAAS Fellow is a lifetime honor, and all Fellows adhere to the highest standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity. 

In April 2024, AAAS bestowed the honor on LSU faculty members:

• from LSU's College of Science:
  • Sophie Warny,  an LSU Department of Geology and Geophysics Professor, as well as curator and director of education at the LSU Museum of Natural Science
  • Joseph Giaime,  professor in the LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy and head of LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory in Livingston, Louisiana
• from LSU's College of the Coast & Environment: Ed Laws, a professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences
• from LSU Health Shreveport: Christopher G. Kevil,  a researcher and faculty member in the Department of Pathology and Translational Pathobiology

Invention & Innovation

LSU Department of Biological Sciences Professor Naohiro Kato holds a vial of microalgae extract that he and his students grew and processed at LSU. Kato has discovered multiple uses for this microalgae extract including as an antioxidant that is valuable to the nutraceutical industry and biodegradable plastic.

LSU Ranks No. 56 Among Top 100 Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents

LSU jumped to No. 56 among universities granted U.S. utility patents in the National Academy of Inventors’ 2023 Top 100 ranking released in June, its highest ranking ever, surpassing 2022’s placement at No. 75.

The National Academy of Inventors ranks the top 100 undergraduate degree-granting institutions in the nation using the number of patents received by their faculty in a single year.

“LSU’s ranking demonstrates the excellence of our research enterprise and the faculty’s dedication to pursuing cutting-edge advances to improve the lives of Louisiana residents and people throughout the world,” LSU President William F. Tate IV said.

Record Research Activity

University research activity is measured through expenditures. Spending across projects provides the most reliable data point to indicate success in research. 

LSU Celebrates Momentous Jump in Research Activity at $488 Million

In June, LSU announced a momentous jump in research activity, achieving a record $488 million across its eight campuses in 2023.

The historic growth — 14% compared with 2022's $428 million statewide total — reflects increased research activity across the LSU family, especially on the flagship campus and at LSU Health New Orleans and LSU Health Shreveport.

American research universities are ranked by their ability to compete for federal funding. The National Science Foundation, or NSF, confirmed LSU’s numbers and provided an updated national ranking in November.

Strategic Partnership

Enhanced marine robotics vehicles are part of the LSU and Integer partnership. 

LSU, Integer Technologies Announce $9.8M Navy Research Contract, Baton Rouge Office

In July, supported by an initial $9.8 million Navy research award, LSU announced plans to enter into a strategic partnership with Integer Technologies, a rapidly growing defense contractor, to develop maritime technology.

Integer Technologies is opening a permanent office on LSU’s flagship campus in Baton Rouge to work directly with students and faculty solving national security challenges.

The new partnership positions Integer and the university to jointly pursue a range of technology initiatives that will create high-paying jobs in Louisiana and unlock the potential for LSU and the state to secure multiple multi-million-dollar federal defense contracts. 

Cyber & Artificial Intelligence

The National Nuclear Security Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Energy, has awarded $50 million in cooperative agreements to only two university consortia to support nuclear security and nonproliferation.

LSU Cyber AI Team Supports $25 Million National Defense and Energy Project

In July, LSU announced that two of its researchers will work with colleagues at 15 universities and eight national labs to develop AI models to protect the nation from nuclear threats while training a new generation of data science, cyber and AI experts.

LSU’s James Ghawaly, principal investigator on the project, and Golden G. Richard III, director of the LSU Cyber Center, are part of a national research team led by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, called the Enabling Capabilities in Technology Consortium.

Ghawaly and Richard will support U.S. nuclear security missions and educate highly talented cyber and data science professionals with AI skill sets who can pursue careers in the Department of Energy’s national labs. 

PRestigious Grant

LSU Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Hai “Thomas” Lin

Five LSU Faculty Members Win National Science Foundation CAREER Awards

In October, five LSU researchers were awarded the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious grant for early-career faculty.

They were chosen for NSF CAREER awards because of their potential to serve as lifelong academic role models and their ability to integrate their work within the context of LSU's  Scholarship First Agenda research mission.

Recipients are:

• Corina Barbalata, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering in the LSU College of Engineering
• Jimmy Lawrence, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering in the LSU College of Engineering
• Hai Lin, assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the LSU College of Engineering
• Kevin Smiley, assistant professor in the Department of Sociology in the LSU College of Humanities and Social Sciences
• Chen Wang, former assistant professor in the Division of Computer Science and Engineering in the LSU College of Engineering

World-class Facility

Conceptual rendering of the LSU Construction & Advanced Manufacturing Building

New LSU Construction & Advanced Manufacturing Building Aims to Elevate Louisiana’s Economy

In October, LSU President William F. Tate IV announced the vision for a new $107 million Construction & Advanced Manufacturing Building — and a $15 million leadership gift from Art Favre, founder of Performance Contractors and a graduate of the first LSU construction management class in 1972.

LSU’s Bert S. Turner Department of Construction Management is on the verge of becoming a world-class leader in the field. This new building will enable LSU to accomplish that goal, providing additional lab and faculty space and increased capacity for advanced manufacturing and machining.

“LSU is poised to be the best construction management and engineering science program in the United States, and a top global leader,” Tate said. “Improved campus infrastructure provides a platform to seize that opportunity.”

Pioneering Research

Spudding Ceremony for LSU's New C02 Research Well Marks Start of Drilling

In November, LSU held a spudding ceremony at its Petroleum Engineering Research, Training & Testing Lab to mark the start of drilling its groundbreaking CO2 research well, in partnership with Halliburton and ExxonMobil.

This unique well will enable LSU students, researchers, and industry experts to advance carbon capture and safety technologies, positioning Louisiana as a leader in low-carbon energy research.

“The project is part of a broader vision to position LSU as a national leader in demonstration-scale energy research, which will include other aspects of low-carbon technologies, such as CO2 capture and use, electrification, hydrogen processes, sustainable fuel production, and more,” said Karsten Thompson, LSU Petroleum Engineering professor and lead on the project.

On the Forefront of AI

LSU’s faculty and students are using AI and machine learning to push boundaries across various fields. 

LSU Joins Prestigious AI Alliance, Strengthening Its Role in AI Innovation

In December, LSU announced its invitation to join the  distinguished AI Alliance, a collaborative network of leading institutions and organizations dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence research, development, and governance.

With most members of the AI Alliance being part of the Association of American Universities (AAU), LSU’s inclusion marks a significant achievement. It positions LSU as the only institution in Louisiana, both in higher education and industry, to be represented in this esteemed network.

"We are honored to join the AI Alliance and to stand at the forefront of artificial intelligence research and education," LSU President William F. Tate IV said.