COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & SCIENCE
Spring 2024 College of Engineering and Science Newsletter
Dean’s Message
Upcoming Events
From Ruston to the Moon and Back:
Electrical Engineering Alum Sends Cameras to Space
Ragan Edmiston was a bright-eyed young electrical engineer one quarter from graduation when NASA sent a headhunter to campus to recruit him. In less than a year, he was at Houston’s Manned Spacecraft Center and on his way to becoming “NASA’s TV man.”
Throughout his 37-year career with the US space agency, Edmiston worked on the Apollo missions and the later space shuttle program, coordinating between industry and government partners to develop an array of gear.
Working alongside a team of industry and government experts, Edmiston helped design the backbone of space communication: a radio system enabling astronauts to stay connected with ground control. This project was a crucial lifeline for the Apollo missions and beyond, ensuring that the astronauts were never truly alone when they embarked on humanity’s boldest journey. As NASA’s TV man, Edmiston was also directly responsible for the Apollo 11 video transmission that traveled 238,900 miles from the lunar surface to millions of television sets around the globe.
Louisiana Tech ASCE Teams Clinch Wins across Regional Competitions
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) student chapter engineered wins in categories across the board at the 2024 ASCE Gulf Coast Student Symposium. The Concrete Canoe, Steel Bridge, and Surveying teams won or placed in their competitions.
The Concrete Canoe team dominated the sprint and slalom races with their creatively designed Pawsome Blossom canoe, reflecting local pride and engineering ingenuity as they racked up first-place wins in the Coed Sprint, the Men’s Sprint, the Men’s Slalom, and the Women’s Slalom races and second-place wins in the Women’s Sprint, the Final Product, and Overall categories. Meanwhile, the Steel Bridge team snagged first place in Bridge Aesthetics and landed third in Bridge Stiffness. The Surveying team also topped the charts, securing first place in Survey Leveling, underscoring their precise expertise.
The chapter is gearing up to host the 2024 Student Steel Bridge Competition National Finals on campus, showcasing more of their real-world engineering skills, leadership and teamwork.
Louisiana Tech and Partners Earn Record NSF Grant
Thanks in part to the efforts of Dr. Daniela Mainardi, the Thomas C. & Nelda Jeffery Professor of Chemical Engineering and College of Engineering and Science Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, Louisiana Tech will play a crucial role in the Future Use of Energy in Louisiana (FUEL) initiative led by Louisiana State University – a historic collaboration backed by the largest National Science Foundation (NSF) grant ever awarded. Louisiana Tech has committed to lead collaboration efforts between the consortium and industry, academic and government leaders to promote sustainable and clean energy solutions for Louisiana.
The Louisiana Tech University’s Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator of FUEL, Mainardi, says she is excited by the opportunities the grant will bring to Louisiana Tech and its impact on economic growth and environmental stewardship.
This grant will position Louisiana as a frontrunner in the global shift toward sustainable energy while promoting partnerships across academia, industry, and government for eco-friendly and sustainable energy solutions that will reshape Louisiana’s energy landscape and provide new jobs for Louisianans.
Tech Online Programs Ranked amoung Best in Nation
