LSU’s effort to quickly generate cash for a major renovation and expansion of its engineering school has been an unquestionable success, although many donors have gone beyond merely writing a blank check by taking an active role in shaping the facility’s purpose.
As Business Report details in a feature from the current issue, some 450 individuals and companies have contributed $57 million to the Patrick F. Taylor Hall project, exceeding the school’s original goal by $7 million. The state also is providing $50 million.
LSU Provost and Executive Vice President Rick Koubek says the additional money will be used to purchase new equipment, once the second phase of the project is completed next fall. The first phase, which broke ground in November 2014, was completed in July and opened for the fall semester.
The expanded engineering complex is expected to meet growth in demand for engineers, construction managers and computer scientists by nearly doubling the number of annual graduates from 650 to 1,150. The Louisiana Workforce Commission estimates about 330 additional engineering and construction graduates will be needed annually statewide in the coming years.
Koubek, former dean of engineering, says the fundraising effort was unprecedented—primarily for the volume of money generated over a short period of time. Most of the funding was raised in just 10 months, between April 2013 and the following February.
The capital drive was kick-started by donations from key donors, such as $15 million from Patrick Taylor’s widow, Phyllis Taylor, and $5 million from Turner Industries Group.
BASF donated $1 million to create the BASF Sustainable Living Lab, which promotes problem-based teaching and research focused on sustainable solutions to global challenges. The first of its kind at LSU and the region, the lab is already operating within the existing engineering complex and is expected to move into the expanded hall.
“We saw it as an opportunity to collaborate with LSU and advance the workforce development efforts that BASF regionally supports,” says Tom Yura, senior vice president and general manager of BASF in Geismar.
In July, LSU and BASF jointly selected Kevin McPeak as the first researcher in residence at the lab. McPeak’s research group is using the lab to develop a water disinfection system that relies upon visible light from the sun. The portable water filtration system has the potential to provide safe drinking water in developing countries where traditional energy-intensive disinfection methods are not feasible.
Stacey Chiasson, public affairs director for Dow in Plaquemine, says her company’s $2 million donation funded the creation of the Dow Student Leadership Center, which provides students with opportunities to cross-collaborate, develop leadership skills, and promote the philosophy of community service and social responsibility.
Collaboration skills are critical for students as they enter the professional world. “An engineer doesn’t come to Dow and work by himself or herself,” Chiasson adds. “They work with operators. They work with electrical engineers. They work with mechanical engineers. What we find is that sometimes they get into school and they put them into these educational silos.”
Heather Herman, former director of strategic partnerships in the College of Engineering, says the Chevron Center for Engineering Education and an interactive classroom funded by Phillips 66 are other examples of donor-guided developments within the expanded engineering complex.
“The interactive classroom concept revolves around team-based learning,” Herman says. “The idea is to flip the classroom, where they do a majority of their lecture work outside of the classroom, through recorded lectures, and spend time in the classroom working on team-based projects.”
While the collaborative, team-based style of teaching is a wave spreading across the higher education landscape, Koubek says, LSU is undoubtedly leading the charge. “At 9.7 square acres,” he notes, “this will be the largest such engineering facility in the country.”
Read the full story. Send your comments to editors@businessreport.com.
