2009 Printed Annual Report - UL Lafayette Foundation

U L L A F A Y E T T E R E S E A R C HRESEARCH.LOUISIANA.EDU | 337.482.654101.09 • DR. MISRA received apatent for using nanotechnology todeliver medicine to a specific site ina patient’s body.03.09 • DR. SCOTT FRANCE and graduate students Jana Thoma andEric Pante traveled to the northern Bahamas aboard a research vessel.January – APRILDr. Devesh Misra, professor of chemical engineering, received a patent for using nanotechnologyto precisely deliver medicine to a specific site in a patient’s body. This technology could be usedto target cancerous tumors. Dr. Misra was one of the recipients of the UL Lafayette Foundation’shighest honor awarded to educators — the Distinguished Professor Award. • The Universityreceived three awards of funds from the Corporation for National and Community Service:the RUNbus Project under the direction of Dr. Barbara Benson of the Renewable ResourcesDepartment; Environmental Awareness Service Projects for Low Income Homes under thedirection of Dr. G.H. Massiha of the Industrial Technology Department; and the Chemical Caras a Tool for the Promotion of Math and Science under the direction of Dr. William Chirdon.• UL Lafayette’s National Incident Management Systems and Advanced Technologies institute(NIMSTAT) and the Civil Air Patrol have partnered with a mission to enhance nationalresiliency through education, training and operational support for the homeland securityand emergency management community. Top University officials were inducted as Civil AirPatrol Members through a special search and rescue exercise and demonstration. • Dr.Vijay Ragavhan, professor of computer science, has collaborated with colleagues at two otheruniversities to develop a new metasearch engine. Large-scale metasearch-engine technologyharnesses the power of small search engines to come up with results that are more accurate andcomplete. • Dr. Mauricio Rodriguez Lanetty won a National Science Foundation (NSF) awardfor $386,000 entitled “Exploring the Adaptation and Acclimatization Potentials of Tropical ReefCorals to Global Climate Change.” The research will assess the nature of selection imposedby environmental changes and the potential of coral populations to respond to global climatechange by evolutionary rapid adaptation. • Graduate students Jana Thoma and Eric Pantetraveled with Biology Professor Dr. Scott France to the unexplored waters of the northernBahamas aboard a research vessel. Dr. France obtained a $715,500 grant from the NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to explore the ocean floor in deep seasubmersible vehicles collecting sea life and capturing video. • Dr. Carl Richter of the GeologyDepartment won an award from the Consortium for Ocean Leadership to work as part of a teamof 60 scientists to accomplish the goals outlined in the scientific prospectus for Expedition 320.May – AUGUSTDr. Gary Kinsland of the Geology Department received a grant award to participate in theimplementation and development of the Transportable Array (TA) element of USArray projectthat is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). USArray will consist of a portablearray of 400 seismometers that will be deployed across the United States over a 10 year period.• The Manufacturing Extension Partnership of Louisiana (MEPoL) received four nationalawards during the National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing ExtensionPartnership National Conference. • Two University professors received awards from theNational Science Foundation: Dr. Suzanne Fredericq of the Biology Department won an NSFaward entited Systematics of the Peyssonneliaceae (Peyssonneliales) — a Family of Crutose MarineRed Algae; Dr. Danella Zhao, Assistant Professor in Center for Advanced Computer Studies(CACS), was awarded a $621,000 NSF CAREER award entitled Wireless Network-on-Chip: ANew Communication Paradigm for Heterogeneous Gigascale MPSoC. The prestigious NSF CAREERaward is intended to support junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars throughoutstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research. • ULLafayette alumni, Dr. J. Keith Melancon was in the national spotlight for his part in a 14-patientkidney exchange. It was the largest kidney exchange of its kind to take place in one city, accordingto a spokesperson at Georgetown University Hospital, where Melancon is Director of Kidney andPancreas Transplant Surgery.SEPTEMBER – DECEMBERNIMSTAT was awarded a $604,700 grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Actto create a system that ensures fuel supplies are available to individuals and businesses in times ofhurricanes and other emergencies. • Dr. Doug Williams of the Center for Innovative Learningand Assessment Technologies and the College of Education were awarded funds from the NationalScience Foundation though Texas A&M to continue a project that aims to develop Web-basedmodules for middle school science. They want to engage students in student-directed inquiry andprovide teachers with professional development in facilitating this inquiry. • CPERC (CleanPower and Energy Research Consortium) and a coalition of five Louisiana Universities were awardeda grant from Department of Energy entitled Production and Utilization of Next Generation Fuelsfor Clean Power. UL Lafayette’s participation focused on development of biological production offuels from agricultural raw-materials. • The University commemorated 50 years of computingand the 25th anniversary of the Center for Advanced Computer Studies. The celebration includedthe naming of the computer science building in honor and memory of Dr. James Oliver. Olivertaught the University’s first computer science class in 1959. A year later, he obtained a grantfrom the National Science Foundation to acquire an IBM 1620, the first digital computer usedon UL Lafayette’s campus. • Researchers with the Center for Advanced Computer Studieshave begun to focus on strengthening the nation’s cyber infrastructure. UL Lafayette professorswill collaborate with other universities and McAfee Labs, a leader in the anti-virus industry.Researchers will develop theoretical models that will aid cyber defenders in predicting the nextmove of hackers. • UL Lafayette chemical engineering students participated in the AmericanInstitute of Chemical Engineers’ Chem-E-Car competition sponsored by Chevron. Team membersdesigned and constructed a chemically powered vehicle roughly the size of a shoe box, powered bymethanol fuel cells.12.09 • CHEMICAL ENGINEERING studentsparticipated in the American Institute of ChemicalEngineers’ Chem-E-Car competition.08.09 • JAMES OLIVERis known as the “father ofcomputing” at UL Lafayette; thecomputer science building wasnamed for him to commemorate 50years of computing on campus.8 9