UL Lafayette's 'quest to be better every day' leads to top research designation

For decades the University of Louisiana at Lafayette has been on a mission to add value to its degree programs.

That goal has taken different forms. In the 1980s it was achieving a certain designation by the Southern Regional Education Board based on the breadth and number of advanced degree programs. Then it was evolving and aligning programs with industry to help local businesses navigate the oil and gas bust through the '90s.

Most recently the goal was to become classified as a Research 1 (R1) institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Learning, which the university earned at the end of 2021.

"We've been on a quest to be better every day for decades now," UL Lafayette President Joseph Savoie said.

This is just an extension of that ongoing quest.

"This validates a lot of hard work by a lot of people over a long period of time," Savoie said. "It's of great value to the university's reputation and ability to attract high-caliber students and high-caliber faculty."

The top-tier designation — achieved by about 3% of public and private universities in the U.S. — makes UL more attractive not only to students and faculty but also to agencies looking to fund research, the president said.

"This designation is an indicator to faculty there's quality work going on at this place and that it's a priority," Savoie said.

'Research for a reason'

UL Lafayette researchers are addressing everything from big data to carbon capture, from coastal erosion to solar testing.

"There's good solid work across campus," Savoie said. "For any student, it's a validation of the quality of education here. For those interested in research, this gives them the opportunity to work with world-class faculty."

Opportunities for hands-on research experience enhances their learning, Savoie said.

"It's an age-old education strategy," he said.

And it can provide solutions to real-world issues, like the essential role UL's research center in New Iberia played in the development of Pfizer's COVID vaccine or the engineering students who are testing the strength of steel in a "crash lab" to inform the industry on how to make bridges safer.

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"We want to pursue knowledge to address real-world problems," Savoie said. "That's why our motto is 'Research for a reason."

'We didn't stay there'

The quest to be better doesn't stop with the R1 classification. The mission, like the university research, continues to evolve as it did in past decades.

"(When we got SREB 2 status) we thought we'd landed on the moon," Savoie said. "But we didn't stay there."

The president and others at the university are equally excited with this latest achievement and equally motivated to push for more.

The university broke ground Thursday on the Louisiana Solar Energy Lab, a 4,500-square-foot building that will house solar testing equipment, a classroom, interactive learning applications, a seminar room with audio-visual equipment, a conference room, and a visitor's center with visual displays and informational kiosks.

"The College of Engineering has adopted a comprehensive approach to energy education that encompasses conventional energy, renewable energy and environmental sustainability," said Ahmed Khattab, dean of the College of Engineering. "This approach is essential to addressing today’s energy demands and future consumption needs. The Louisiana Solar Energy Lab at UL Lafayette will be an indispensable part of that equation."

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Coupled with the university's 6-acre, 4,200-panel solar field — one of the largest outdoor solar testing facilities in the southeastern United States — the new lab will serve as a hub for solar research, technology development, instruction, training, outreach and workforce development.

"Now the challenge is to keep getting better," Savoie said.

Contact children's issues reporter Leigh Guidry at Lguidry@theadvertiser.com or on Twitter @LeighGGuidry.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: UL Lafayette earns top-tier R1 research university designation