The idea of a biodegradable plastic fork and knife made from plant and bacteria material may become a commercial reality, thanks to Gov. Mike Foster’s economic development assistantships.
Last year, the governor gave Louisiana public institutions $1 million. These funds were awarded to universities based on the percentage of doctoral students; because LSU held 61.4 percent of the doctoral students in Louisiana, the University received $614,000.
The University matched this amount for a total of $1.228 million, said Kevin Smith, vice chancellor for research and graduate studies. In order for students to receive the assistantship, they must be working on a project of “obvious economic impact” to the state of Louisiana, he said.
Smith said the Office of Research and Graduate Studies divided the funds into 48 $25,000 assistantships.
Because the money came late in the year, Smith said he divided the assistantships into four groups of 12 — 12 four-year, 12 three-year, 12 two-year and 12 one-year assistantships. Every year a new batch of 12 assistantships will be available to University doctoral students. The new assistantships all eventually will be converted to four-year study programs.
Ronald Malone, a civil and environmental engineering professor, said the assistantships give the students more academic freedom to pursue what is most appropriate in the research and “follow their noses.”
“It transfers the decisions to the student,” Malone said.
Maria Teresa Gutierrez-Wing, a first-year engineering doctoral student, is studying bioplastics — the use of bacteria, instead of petroleum, to produce biodegradable plastics.
Part of this research includes using the same bacteria to eliminate toxic nitrates from the water, Wing said. This will help fish production and conserve water.
Malone said their research is two-fold: to make bioplastics a commercial reality and to bring the economic potential to Louisiana.
“In the global economy, anything we can do to reduce our reliance on petroleum will be helpful,” Malone said.
Smith said he gave the assistantships to the colleges of Basic Sciences, Engineering and Veterinary Medicine the first year because their research formed “an obvious link” with economic potential.
After this year, the 12 new assistantships will be available to all colleges and any doctoral student who can show their research will be economically relevant to Louisiana.
“For example, if the music students think they can improve the entertainment industry, they should show us a competitive proposal,” Smith said. “For students in sociology, can you look for ways to decrease the prison population, or health and welfare reform? We want some balance.”
The deadline for applying for 2004 assistantships will be this fall, Smith said. He wants the colleges and departments to use the assistantships as recruitment tools.
Malone said the assistantships will help them bring in top-caliber people.
“It gives us that atmosphere of academic excellence we’re trying to establish here,” Malone said.
Smith said the Office of Graduate Studies encouraged colleges and departments to follow the “clusters” the state’s Department of Economic Development has already set up, like biotechnology, entertainment and transportation.
Wing, who received a three-year assistantship, said she was grateful for the funds to do her research.
“It lets you work on projects that will be helpful,” she said.