Four LSU New Orleans student and alumni filmmakers are taking their work to film festivals across the country this fall, with films screening in Miami, Charlotte, Chicago, Shreveport and New Orleans.

Jordan Joseph (MFA Film Production ’23) will screen SUGAR WATER at five festivals, including the New Orleans Film Festival (NOFF), October 22–27.

Mackenzie Bell (MFA Film Production ’26) will screen MENTALITY, which Bell wrote, directed, produced and edited, at the International Dance Festival New Orleans on September 11 and at NOFF in October.

Stevie Cavalier (MFA Film Production ’19) has two projects at Louisiana festivals. OVEST will screen at NOFF, while HOURS TO MINUTES TO SECONDS, co-directed with Catalina Cielo, is a Top 20 finalist for the 2026 Louisiana Film Prize in Shreveport.

Niko Kochalidze (Class of 2028) is also a Louisiana Film Prize Top 20 finalist with ABNEGATION, which he co-wrote, directed and shot. The 48-hour film features a crew of fellow LSU New Orleans filmmakers.

With HOURS TOMINUTES TO SECONDS and ABNEGATION, two of this year’s 20 Louisiana Film Prize finalists come from LSU New Orleans filmmakers.

Local audiences can see several of these films at the New Orleans Film Festival, October 22–27, with virtual programming available through November 1. Screening times and ticket information will be announced by the festival. Follow #NOFF2026 for updates.

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LSU New Orleans students preparing for careers in engineering and the energy industry will gain access to enhanced technology, research opportunities and hands-on learning through a combined $1.5 million investment from Entergy and Ampirical to modernize the university’s Power and Energy Research Laboratory (PERL).

Entergy will invest $750,000, with Ampirical committing an additional $750,000 over five years. The investments will support upgrades to PERL, including new simulation technology, modeling software and modern teaching tools, while also supporting scholarships, student recruitment and continued operation of the laboratory.

This initiative builds on LSU New Orleans’ longstanding ties to the energy industry and strengthens an existing pipeline connecting students with career opportunities.

“This investment is a prime example of what we want to accomplish at LSU New Orleans - connecting the education our students receive in the classroom with meaningful opportunities in the workforce when they graduate,” said Jeanette Weiland, interim chancellor and chief administrative officer of LSU New Orleans. “Our goal is to establish LSU New Orleans as the destination for engineering education in the New Orleans region, where students can gain the knowledge, hands-on experience and industry connections they need to build successful careers. With nearly 500 of our current students already working at Entergy and Ampirical, these relationships are also helping ensure Louisiana has the highly skilled engineering talent needed to support its future.”

Started in 2009 through a partnership between Entergy, the university and the State of Louisiana for establishment of the $2 million Entergy Endowed Chair in Power Systems Engineering in 2007, PERL gives students and faculty the opportunity to apply engineering concepts to real-world energy challenges. Since its inception, in addition to funding the establishment of the endowed chair, Entergy has provided more than $4.5 million for university research focused on electric grid reliability and resiliency, hurricane preparedness, blackout prevention, transmission systems, renewable energy integration and other emerging energy technologies.

“The power and energy industry has changed dramatically since PERL was established, and it is important that our students learn and train using the technology they will encounter in today’s workforce,” said Parviz Rastgoufard, Ph.D., Entergy Endowed Chair for Power Systems Engineering and Director of PERL. “This investment will allow us to upgrade the lab and provide students with an educational experience that reflects where the industry is headed.”

“Our partnership with LSU New Orleans demonstrates the tremendous value that comes from bringing industry, higher education and research together,” said Kimberly Cook-Nelson, Entergy executive vice president and chief operating officer. “This investment builds on that foundation by providing students with greater access to advanced technology and hands-on experience while supporting research that can help us address the evolving needs of the energy industry and the communities we serve.”

“As an engineering led services company, we know firsthand how important it is to develop a strong pipeline of talented engineers who are prepared for the demands of a rapidly changing industry,” said Matthew Saacks, Ampirical CEO. “Our investment in LSU New Orleans is an investment in those future professionals and in the educational and research opportunities that will help keep engineering talent here in our region.”

This initiative will also support LSU New Orleans’ longer-term vision of expanding PERL into a Power and Energy Research Institute (PERI). The proposed institute would broaden collaboration among LSU New Orleans, utilities and other industry partners; pursue additional research funding; and expand capabilities in power system modeling, simulation, analysis, testing and workforce training.

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LSU New Orleans biological sciences researcher and professor T. Erin Cox has received a $115,090 grant from the National Science Foundation to study how coastal ecosystems respond to disturbance following a major flood in the state of Hawai‘i.

The project, titled “COLLABORATE RAPID: Interactions Between Pulse and Press Disturbance Following a 1,000 Year Coastal Flood in Hawai‘i,” will examine the resilience and resistance of ecological communities following the extreme flooding event.

The research focuses on tropical intertidal communities, an area that has been studied less extensively than temperate ecosystems. Cox and fellow researchers will examine factors such as primary producer (seaweed) and herbivore abundance pre- and post-flooding and examine the role of an invasive species in shaping community response. The outcomes will provide insight into how these communities respond to environmental change.

The findings will have broader applications for community ecologists studying the effects of disturbances on ecosystems. Researchers also expect the results to help inform understanding of how invasive species significantly alter their environments and affect species’ richness, community composition and species abundance.

The NSF-funded project began Aug. 1, 2026, and will continue through July 31, 2027.

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GRAMMY Award-winning artist, songwriter, and producer Jamison Ross has joined LSU New Orleans as the Alvin “Red” Tyler Endowed Professor of Music.

A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Ross developed his musical foundation at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts before attending Florida State University and the University of New Orleans, where he earned a Master of Music. His appointment brings him back to the program that helped shape his artistic development, now with the opportunity to mentor and prepare the next generation of musicians.

His debut album, Jamison, earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album, establishing him as a distinctive artist equally at home behind the drums and at the microphone. His subsequent releases, including All for One and JAMO, have continued to expand his voice as a singer, songwriter, musician, and producer.

In 2019, Ross co-founded Affective Music, a record labeland artist development company. The label’s first release, Mykal Kilgore’s “Let Me Go,” earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Traditional R&B Performance. Ross’ collaborations include work with Gabrielle Cavassa, Jon Batiste, Boz Scaggs, Tank and the Bangas, and PJ Morton. His work as a producer continued across multiple projects, including Avery*Sunshine’s So Glad to Know You, which earned him a GRAMMY Award for Best Progressive R&B Album. Ross is also a member of the GRAMMY Award-winning collective Snarky Puppy, with whom he performs and records internationally.

Ross’s multifaceted career provides a depth of real-world experience that will directly inform his work with students at LSU New Orleans, connecting the traditions of jazz and Black American music with the realities of today’s creative and professional landscape.

“It’s a huge honor and a full circle moment to be appointed as the Alvin ‘Red’ Tyler Endowed Professor of Music at LSU New Orleans,” Ross said. “I’m excited to continue the lineage of a program founded by the late Ellis Marsalis, honoring the lineage, developing each student’s voice, and helping shape what’s next. I look forward to building this program to embody the spirit of a city that gave birth to some of the most important foundations of American music.”

At LSU New Orleans, Ross will draw on his professional experience to help students grow as musicians, develop their individual artistic voices, and prepare for sustainable creative careers.

Ross’ appointment represents both a continuation of the program’s lineage and an investment in the future of music education in the birthplace of jazz.

Ross is proud to have called New Orleans home for 16 years with his wife, Adrienne, and daughter, Jazz.

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LSU New Orleans Career Services will host the LSU New Orleans Career Fair on Thursday, Oct. 8, bringing approximately 100 employers to campus to connect with students and alumni seeking internships, part-time positions and full-time careers.

The career fair will take place from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the University Center Ballroom and is open to current LSU New Orleans students and alumni from all majors and class levels.

Participating employers will represent a variety of industries and will be recruiting for opportunities ranging from internships to full-time positions. Some employers will also conduct on-site interviews the same day, giving attendees an opportunity to move quickly from an initial introduction to the next stage of the hiring process.

Attendees are encouraged to dress in business or business-casual attire and come prepared with copies of their résumés. The Career Closet in University Center 250 is available to students who need professional clothing for the event.

Students can register for the career fair through Handshake by visiting lsuneworleans.edu, selecting the Handshake app, completing their profile if necessary and searching for the Career Fair under “Fairs,” or by clicking here.

The first 100 registered students will receive a premium item upon arrival.

Event Details
LSU New Orleans Career Fair
Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026
11 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
University Center Ballroom
Open to all LSU New Orleans students and alumni

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Clare Davis-Wheeler Chin, an LSU New Orleans alum and nanomaterials chemist at Sandia National Laboratories, is one of the inventors of a microwave-based method that can transform materials from spent lithium-ion batteries into useful new materials. Kirsten Jones, a former Sandia intern and doctoral student at LSU New Orleans, also contributed to developing the method.

The research focuses on lithium cobalt oxide, a material commonly used in lithium-ion battery cathodes. Using an adjustable microwave reactor, researchers can convert the material into nanosheets in about two hours, which is significantly faster than the approximately seven days required using a previous method. This new process also converts approximately 95% of the material into nanosheets, compared with 60% previously.

“Cobalt is a critical material for almost all consumer electronics,” said Davis-Wheeler Chin. “Since there’s only one main source of cobalt, it would be very easy for the cobalt supply chain to just disappear. We’re about to have an abundance of old EV batteries that are either going to go to the landfill or that we can mine to develop a domestic supply.”

Jones began working on the project during an internship at Sandia National Laboratories in 2023 before continuing her research through the laboratory of her LSU New Orleans adviser, John Wiley. The work highlights the impact of research opportunities at LSU New Orleans and the contributions its students and alumni are making to scientific innovation beyond campus.

“This research has the potential to advance clean energy by not only recycling, but upcycling lithium-ion batteries to make them more useful,” Jones said.

Read the full Sandia National Laboratories release, “Mining Batteries ina Microwave,” here.

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