ACE Implementation Grant: The New Energy Workforce: Sustainable Materials, Energy and Technology

Southern University, Baton Rouge LA

Investigators

Abstract

Southern University is centering itself at the forefront of the sustainability frontier by engaging in the development of the next generation of sustainable materials, energy and technologies. Basic sciences that will lay the foundation for development of this initiative within the SU STEM enterprise are Agricultural Sciences, Engineering, and Physical Sciences, which will combine to support three primary research thrusts - Materials Science & Energy Technologies; Biomass Conversion, Biofuels & Bioenergy; and Climate Change & Environmental Impact. Computational Science & Information Technology will serve as an undergirding connection throughout. The ACE Implementation project entitled: The New Energy Workforce - Sustainable Materials, Energy & Technology, will develop concentrations within the Colleges of Agricultural Sciences, Engineering, and Sciences, and create an interdisciplinary international degree program that integrates research, academics and experiential learning toward resolving sustainability issues faced by Louisiana, this nation and the global community. The project will expose undergraduate students to sustainable materials, energy, and technologies through an interdisciplinary dual-degree curriculum that integrates academics, research and global engagement with international universities; assemble interdisciplinary teams of international scientists and engineers to identify solutions to sustainability challenges affecting the global community; and engage in interdisciplinary sustainable materials, energy and technologies research activities with special emphasis on clean and renewable resources suitable for commercialization and replication. Forging collaborative partnerships that emphasize student and faculty exchange, joint research foci, joint course offerings and joint academic degree programs will promote scientific and technological understanding within the global STEM Enterprise.