A New Orleans based organization sent more than 4,000 petition signatures to Chancellor Michael Martin on Thursday morning in support of Ivor van Heerden.The petition by Levees.org was in response to the the University’s firing of coastal scientist van Heerden in April. The letter asked the chancellor to reconsider that decision.According to a news release by Levees.org director Sandy Rosenthal, the petition was sent after van Heerden met with a representative from Gov. Bobby Jindal’s office.Van Heerden is discussing the potential of collaborating with the Governor’s Office of Coastal Activities, according to the news release.Levees.org posted the petition online April 15 and held a protest in New Orleans the next day in response to the University’s decision.Several organizations and van Heerden believe his release was related to his outspokenness on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ poor construction of the levees in New Orleans.University spokeswoman Kristine Calogne told The Daily Reveille in April that Martin had no comment on the petition.—-Contact Joy Lukachick at [email protected]