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Southeastern continues to share research with the public

Southeastern Louisiana University’s Research Council recently presented “PechaKucha, A Research and Innovation Showcase,” at Blackened Brew in Hammond.

By: Tonya Lowentritt

RESEARCH MADE SIMPLE - Southeastern Louisiana University’s Research Council recently presented “PechaKucha, A Research and Innovation Showcase,” at Blackened Brew in Hammond. Southeastern faculty that presented included, from left, Professor of Anthropology Kellen Gilbert, Associate Professor of Social Work Corie Hebert, Assistant Professor of Chemistry Sita Aggarwal, College of Science and Technology Department Head and Biology Professor Justin Anderson, Associate Professor of Industrial and Engineering Technology Priyadarsshini “Priyaa” Dasgupta, Associate Professor of Photography Lily Brooks, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry James Cho, Instructor of Biological Sciences Oliver Ljustina, Physics Professor Gerard Blanchard, Biology Professor Chris Beachy, Professor of Human Development and Family Science Holly Kihm, and Turtle Cove Research Station Manager Robert Moreau.

Southeastern Louisiana University’s Research Council recently presented “PechaKucha, A Research and Innovation Showcase,” at Blackened Brew in Hammond. PechaKucha means ‘chit-chat’ in Japanese and is a fast-paced presentation format. Each presentation contained 20 slides, with each slide displayed for exactly 20 seconds. Presenters were selected through a competitive process.

The event aimed to bring Southeastern research to the attention of the local community.

“Our faculty are our most valuable resource. The PechaKucha showcase offered a glimpse into the critical, region-focused research our faculty are doing,” said Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Eric Skipper. “The university is an amazingly diverse hub of intellectual capital, which can be leveraged for problem solving and improving quality of life for our region. At Southeastern, we put that ideal into action.”

Research presented at the event included the following:

  • “Living with Lions” by Professor of Anthropology Kellen Gilbert. Gilbert has conducted field research on human wildlife conflict in Tanzania, Namibia and the U.S. Her research illustrated how living with wildlife, especially large carnivores, impacts communities both far and close to home.
  • “Project ROOMIE: Turning Students into Professionals with Undergraduate Research” by Physics Professor Gerard Blanchard. Blanchard leads students in co-curricular NASA-funded experiments. Students design and build their own instruments that are launched into the upper atmosphere and ionosphere using high-altitude balloons and sounding rockets.
  • “Nano Solutions Against Superbugs” by Assistant Professor of Biochemistry James Cho. Cho specializes in the synthesis and application of bio-inspired nanomaterials and hydrogels to address multi-drug resistant bacterial infections.
  • “Crawfish Reproduction is Impaired Following White Spot Syndrome Virus Infection” by College of Science and Technology Department Head and Biology Professor Justin Anderson. Anderson studies how WSSV interacts with herbicides used on rice crops in crawfish ponds. Through his research he discovered that male crawfish exposed to the virus produce significantly fewer offspring than those not exposed.
  • “Small Device, Big Impact: Managing Needle Anxiety in Young Adults” by Professor of Human Development and Family Science Holly Kihm. Kihm discussed how a simple, non-pharmacological pain management tool, the Buzzy, was introduced during university COVID-19 vaccine clinics to address this overlooked issue.
  • “Does Urbanization Promote Trophic Overlap in Watersnakes” by Instructor of Biological Sciences Oliver Ljustina. His research is mainly focused on understanding how reptiles and amphibians interact with urban systems with a particular interest in trophic dynamics.
  • “Letter from a Bellwether” by Associate Professor of Photography Lily Brooks. Her presentation focused on an ongoing lens-based research project that stems from a two-pronged investigation into a place where profit and vulnerability collide, a place that is disappearing. With the project, Brooks wishes to visualize disintegration in reference to both the feminist literary history and the pressing ecological plight of Grand Isle.
  • “What Salamanders Have Taught Me About How the World Works” by Biology Professor Christopher Beachy. His research focuses on salamander biology with an emphasis on amphibian metamorphosis and how it affects life history biology. Salamanders have far more DNA than humans, can capture prey faster than any other animal and can regenerate any body part, including their brain.
  • “Protein Responses to Plant Extracts and Environmental Chemicals in a Model Cell System” by Assistant Professor of Chemistry Sita Aggarwal. Her presentation focused on how plant-derived extracts and toxic chemical compounds found in the environment interact with key protein targets in living cells. The project also demonstrates how simple biological models can be used to study real-world environmental stressors.
  • “Social Work Students Use Photovoice to Create Social Change” by Associate Professor of Social Work Corie Hebert. Her presentation described a social work macro practice class project using Photovoice to raise awareness about homelessness in Hammond.
  • “The Story of Turtle Cove: Sustainable Evolution of a University Research and Education Program Built on Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies” Turtle Cove Research Station Manager Robert Moreau. Moreau discussed that the program is a new era that now includes United States Coast Guard oversight, marketing a renewed commitment to safety, innovation and growth.
  • “Construction Industry Hazards, Innovations and Benefits of the Innovation” by Associate Professor of Industrial and Engineering Technology Priyadarsshini Dasgupta. Her presentation illustrated how construction worker exposure to hazards was mitigated to the greatest extent by the introduction of ergonomic interventions. The presentation also showed the efficacy and effectiveness of the intervention tools as powerful means to reduce risk and increase productivity.
RESEARCH MADE SIMPLE - Southeastern Louisiana University’s Research Council recently presented “PechaKucha, A Research and Innovation Showcase,” at Blackened Brew in Hammond. Southeastern faculty that presented included, from left, Professor of Anthropology Kellen Gilbert, Associate Professor of Social Work Corie Hebert, Assistant Professor of Chemistry Sita Aggarwal, College of Science and Technology Department Head and Biology Professor Justin Anderson, Associate Professor of Industrial and Engineering Technology Priyadarsshini “Priyaa” Dasgupta, Associate Professor of Photography Lily Brooks, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry James Cho, Instructor of Biological Sciences Oliver Ljustina, Physics Professor Gerard Blanchard, Biology Professor Chris Beachy, Professor of Human Development and Family Science Holly Kihm, and Turtle Cove Research Station Manager Robert Moreau.
RESEARCH MADE SIMPLE - Southeastern Louisiana University’s Research Council recently presented “PechaKucha, A Research and Innovation Showcase,” at Blackened Brew in Hammond. Southeastern faculty that presented included, from left, Professor of Anthropology Kellen Gilbert, Associate Professor of Social Work Corie Hebert, Assistant Professor of Chemistry Sita Aggarwal, College of Science and Technology Department Head and Biology Professor Justin Anderson, Associate Professor of Industrial and Engineering Technology Priyadarsshini “Priyaa” Dasgupta, Associate Professor of Photography Lily Brooks, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry James Cho, Instructor of Biological Sciences Oliver Ljustina, Physics Professor Gerard Blanchard, Biology Professor Chris Beachy, Professor of Human Development and Family Science Holly Kihm, and Turtle Cove Research Station Manager Robert Moreau.
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