The University has added two new programs to serve “both sides of the coin” of Louisiana’s economy.
The Poverty Research Initiative and the Arts, Visualization, Advanced Technologies and Research are two new research programs funded through the Multidisciplinary Hiring Initiative.
Matt Mullenix, manager of publications at the Office of Research and Development, said MHI is a new program at the University that will bring various disciplines together to solve a problem.
MHI will spend more than $3.5 million on the two programs. Mullenix said student fees will not be used to fund the programs. He said the programs will be funded by state money or private donors.
“Each of the MHIs hope to be self-supporting from grants and other lines of funding,” Mullenix said. “Once they are established as a working research unit, they’ll be in a position to go out and find some support funding.”
The Poverty Research Initiative will investigate poverty and ways to mitigate it with a focus on Louisiana and the mid-south delta region.
PRI will use expertise from social work, political science, economics and human ecology to draw a conclusion, according to a University news release. The program will develop models to reduce poverty with local and national applications.
Brooks Keel, vice chancellor for Research and Economic Development, said Louisiana is becoming a hot spot for the digital arts and entertainment industries.
“We’ve made a real push for that, and it’s reaping benefits with a huge influx of high-tech companies coming in,” Keel said.
Mullenix said the administration wants to remove barriers and support the research as they go by helping them with what they need at the time they need it.
The second program, AVATAR, is a collaboration between artists, engineers and scientists to look at how digital media can be interactive.
Steve Beck, director of the Creative Computational Technologies Lab for Creative Arts and Technologies, said one aspect they are looking into is “Second Life.”
“Second Life” is a virtual world where people can be in a social environment. It is a 3-D world where people can create copyrighted digital creations and have the ability to sell or trade with other users, according to the “Second Life” Web site.
Beck said he has not spoken with Astrid Merget, executive vice chancellor and provost, and Keel to determine when the program will begin.
Beck said he hopes to start hiring new faculty by this summer. AVATAR will also give undergraduates and post-graduates the ability to be involved.
The University already has three programs funded by MHI.
The Atlantic Studies Initiative helps create a unified understanding of cultures and histories around the Atlantic rim, including the cultural diversity of Louisiana.
The Materials Science and Engineering Initiative seeks to find a better understanding of the properties of matter to develop new materials with industrial, consumer and computer applications.
The Computational Science Initiative creates models of complex natural processes such as hurricanes and coastal erosion and supports the creation of an IT-based workforce in Louisiana.
“I can’t wait to see them in action,” Keel said.
—-Contact J.J. Alcantara at [email protected]