Ivor van Heerden, University coastal scientist and research professor, was notified by the University of his termination as a professor in May 2010, according to an April 10 Times-Picayune article.
Van Heerden is also being stripped of his title as deputy director of the University Hurricane Center. And Marc Levitan, engineering professor, has stepped down as the center’s director, according to the article.
The Daily Reveille is still waiting on confirmation from the University and the professors. But The Times-Picayune cited van Heerden, who is not a tenured professor, saying he was not given a reason why he is being fired.
After Hurricane Katrina, van Heerden led the state’s levee investigation. He later wrote a book about Katrina in May 2006 titled, “What went wrong and Why During Hurricane Katrina — The Inside Story from one Louisiana Scientist,” that heavily criticized the University administration about his academic freedom and spoke out against the levee construction policies.
Shortly after his book was published, former Vice Chancellor for communications Michael Ruffner wrote a letter to The Times Picayune and a similar version to the New York Times defending the University.
The University did not limit the scientist’s access to the press to talk about Katrina, but questioned some of his technical and professional expertise to comment on levees and construction, Ruffner said in the June 7 letter to The New York Times.
“At the request of the engineering faculty and its dean, we discussed this with Dr. van Heerden and gained his assurance that he would not speak on matters for which he has no professional credentials or training,” Ruffner said in the letter.
——Contact Joy Lukachick at [email protected]