Nuclear research: LSU Physics & Astronomy Assistant Professor Scott Marley is part of a university consortium that has been awarded a five-year, $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to establish a center for nuclear training and research, according to an LSU announcement. Marley’s work with the center will involve using nuclear reactions to study the structure of atomic nuclei near the limits of stability. Read the full announcement.
Rate hikes: Southern University System students in Louisiana will pay hundreds of dollars more a semester in the upcoming school year, to generate $4.2 million for campuses, under a package of fee hikes approved by the system governing board Thursday. The fee increases on students are rankling lawmakers, who protected Louisiana’s colleges from budget cuts for the 2018-19 school year by renewing part of an expiring sales tax last month. The LSU System Board of Supervisors also voted last week to boost its student fees, to raise more than $14 million. Read the full story.
Wingspan increase: Boeing and Brazilian jet maker Embraer will attempt to form a joint venture that would push the U.S. aerospace giant into the market for smaller airliners.The new company is being valued at $4.75 billion. Boeing Co. said Thursday that it will own 80% while Embraer SA takes the remaining 20%. The preliminary agreement follows long negotiations that have been scrutinized closely in Brazil, where lawmakers fear losing control of a major industrial and defense asset. Read the full story.
