Sustainability Research Division Institutes
Institute for Coastal and Water Research
The core mission of the Institute for Coastal and Water Research (ICaWR) is to improve understanding and management of coastal and water resources at current and future land/sea interfaces and their interactions with society.
Research Projects:
- Development of barrier island habitat monitoring protocols
- Importance of coastal islands for avifauna support
- Louisiana coastal bays phytoplankton ecology
- Saltmarsh loss disconnects habitats and reduces fish production
- Wetland plant community dynamics modeling
- Coastal wetlands experimental research facility
- Accelerated degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons through bioturbation
- Development of a surface water management framework
Assessment of oil spill effects on coastal archaeological sites
The Center for Ecology and Environmental Technology
The Center for Ecology and Environmental Technology (CEET) is an integral parts of ICaWR and contributes significantly to the Institute's success. Our mission is to nurture research, education, and community activities in ecology and environmental biology. We support K-12, undergraduate, and graduate students, through structured classes, independent projects, and hands-on field and lab studies.
Louisiana Watershed Flood Center
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette Louisiana Watershed Flood Center is nested within the organizational structure of the Institute for Coastal and Water Research. The Louisiana Watershed Flood Center strives to develop research-based, watershed-scale solutions for flood risk management and water resources sustainability; to coalesce subject-matter experts, practitioners, students, policymakers, public and private-sector stakeholders necessary to address current and future water systems challenges; and to support local and regional communities by providing world-class resources for integrated watershed planning and management.
Ecology Center
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ecology Center is nested within the organizational structure of the Institute for Coastal and Water Research. The Ecology Center supports multidisciplinary research, education, and community outreach in the areas of ecology and environmental science.The Ecology Center provides resources to scientists within and outside Louisiana for multi-disciplinary research, and they foster community involvement and social awareness about the importance of Louisiana's ecological diversity. They also work to educate K-12, undergraduate, and graduate students with structured classes, independent projects, and hands-on field and laboratory studies.
Energy Institute of Louisiana
The Energy Institute of Louisiana (Ei) is the university’s comprehensive research unit for all matters regarding energy development, usage, policy, and its impact on the ecological and human condition. The Ei is one of five R&D flagship centers selected by UL Lafayette to lead the institution’s primary research emphasis areas. The goal of the Energy Institute of Louisiana is to provide the State of Louisiana with a World-Class energy advocate that focuses on energy industry developments from technical, ecological, and humanistic perspectives.
Energy Efficiency & Sustainable Energy Center
The Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Energy Center is UL Lafayette's home for research in all forms of sustainable energy, with a focus on education, outreach, and economic development.
The Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Energy Center striving to ensure the world will always have an abundant and reliable supply of energy from clean and sustainable sources. They pursue this vision through cutting-edge research in all forms of sustainable power, such as solar, wind, and hydro, as well as energy efficiency measures. They also offer innovative educational opportunities geared toward teaching and training the next generation of renewable energy leaders. They contribute to the community in which we live by providing workforce and economic development opportunities, education, and outreach.
UL Lafayette is leading the country in solar energy research. The Photovoltaic Applied Research and Testing Laboratory(PART Lab) has six acres of solar panels, and students and faculty are working to understand how the sun degrades the modules.We’re one of only a few universities that can examine solar technology outside and in a controlled, laboratory space. Their findings will improve solar panel manufacturing as the world uses more and more renewable energy in the coming years.
Cleco Alternative Energy Center
A model of a successful public-private partnership, the Cleco Alternative Energy Center is an $8M facility dedicated to investigating ways to provide clean and affordable energy to America's homes and businesses. Research areas include biomass gasification, torrefaction, and digestion.
Center for Environmental Protection
The Center for Environmental Protection (CEP) directs its R&D efforts toward reducing the adverse ecological impact of engineered systems, reducing the pollution potential of urban areas, waste reduction, waste stream treatment, and contaminated site remediation. The CEP team has worked at over 100 facilities with reducing their carbon footprint, cleaning their waste streams, and/or remediating polluted areas. Over $40M of R&D funding has been generated from external sources by the CEP team with these funds hailing from DoD, DOE, EPA, and USDA. Additionally substantial funds have been obtained from over 50 industrial partners and numerous state agencies. Key UL departments include Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Biology, Chemistry, GeoSciences, Petroleum Engineering, Education, and Mechanical Engineering.
Chemicals & Fuels Development Center
The Chemical and Fuels Development Center (CFDC) is a national leading center for the development of both traditional and developing fuels and chemicals (co-products) with an emphasis on using sustainable production methods. A R&D area of particular focus is the production of liquid fuels from renewable feedstocks such as biocrude, sewage sludge, and cultured crops. More recently, the team at the CFDC has emerged as leading experts on the conversion of urban areas into foundational feedstock sources for a new generation of biorefineries based on municipal wastes.
Center for Louisiana C1 Extension Service
The Louisiana C1 Extension Service (LC1ES) will provide the State of Louisiana with much-needed expertise and a repository of information on the management of C1 by providing guidance, technical input, and information to key stakeholders (industry, government, and policy makers), as the state moves toward achieving a net zero C1 release future. While the primary goal will be providing technical assistance and information to assist Louisiana’s industries, businesses, and policy makers with methods for reaching C1 emission reduction goals, minimizing adverse impacts to, and hopefully growing, Louisiana’s economy will also be a priority. Finally, the training of future professionals on the science and economics of net carbon neutral technical systems, dynamic business landscapes, and associated policies will also be points of interest for the LC1ES.
Southern Unconventional Resources Center of Excellence
The vision of SOURCE (Southern Unconventional Resources Center of Excellence) is to be the source of knowledge on Southern Source &Seal Rocks. The mission of SOURCE is:
- To push the boundaries of science, technology, and best practices in the evaluation of source and seal geologic formations.
- To contribute to the development and well-being of society through research on energy production.
- To train the next generation of petroleum engineers with intellectual merit and potential to benefit society.
- To enhance the economic development of the State of Louisiana through scientific research projects.
- To provide a platform for effective and efficient collaboration among academia, industry, and State/Federal government.
- To promote environmental stewardship regarding the development of unconventional resources and carbon storage.
- To empower qualified women, minorities, and low-income students with an advanced education and research skills.
- To disseminate knowledge on source and seal formations.
School of Architecture and Design
The School of Architecture and Design has many sustainability projects, studios, and design-build projects that strive to advance sustainability in design, building, and planning built it to their program. Follow the links to learn more about each program.