Han Chen, Ph.D., associate professor in the Lester E. Kabacoff School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism at LSU New Orleans, received the Best Paper Award at the 2026 ICHRIE Global Conference, held July 15–17 in Las Vegas.

The award recognized Chen’s research, “Can Humble Leadership Enhance Hospitality Employees’ Psychological Well-Being? The Moderating Role of Supervisor-Subordinate Relational Age.” The study examines how humble leadership may influence the psychological well-being of employees in the hospitality industry and how the age relationship between supervisors and their employees may affect that connection.

Chen led the research in collaboration with Angie Yeonsook Im, Ph.D., of the University of Georgia, and Yizhi (Ian) Li, Ph.D., of LSU New Orleans.

The International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (ICHRIE) is a leading international academic association for hospitality and tourism education and research. Its annual global conference brings together scholars and educators from around the world to share research and discuss developments in the field.

The Best Paper Award recognizes outstanding research presented at the conference and highlights LSU New Orleans faculty contributions to scholarships in hospitality and tourism.

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Elliott Beaton, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Psychology, was selected for two multi-day educator workshops hosted this summer by the Allen Institute in Seattle. The application-based programs prepare college faculty to teach neuroscience using large, openly available scientific data sets collected by Allen Institute scientists and collaborators.

The workshops brought together faculty from across the United States, Canada, and South America who teach neuroscience, biology, and psychology. One workshop centered on connectomics, the detailed mapping of connections between individual cells in the brain. The other covered the use of the Python programming language to analyze large sets of neuroscience data.

Dr. Beaton plans to use what he learned, along with resources shared by the Allen Institute, into existing courses and to help build laboratory courses for the new B.S. in Neuroscience at LSU New Orleans. The work will give students applied practice in coding and quantitative analysis with real neuroscience data rather than simulated exercises.

“The skills that our neuroscience students will pick up from what we build with the Allen Institute’s open resources, coding and quantitative analysis on real neuroscience data, are the skills that will carry them into graduate or medical school programs, and into careers,” Dr. Beaton said. “That is what this degree is designed to do.”

Dr. Beaton directs the Stress, Cognition, and Affective Neuroscience (SCAN) Laboratory and serves as graduate coordinator for the doctoral program in Applied Psychology. He helped establish the B.S. in Neuroscience with colleagues in the Department of Psychology, across the College of Sciences, and in the Office of Academic Affairs. It is the only Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience currently offered at a public university in Louisiana.

The Allen Institute is an independent, nonprofit bioscience research organization in Seattle. Through its education program, it offers professional development for college faculty who want to bring open scientific data into undergraduate classrooms.

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Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, will join three Southeast Louisiana port leaders at LSU New Orleans on Monday, Aug. 31, for a public discussion about global trade, infrastructure, workforce development and Louisiana’s economic future.

The roundtable, hosted by the LSU New Orleans Institute for Economic Development and Real Estate Research, will take place from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. in the Geoghegan Grand Ballroom on the second floor of the Homer L. Hitt Alumni and Visitors Center. The event is open to the university community and the public.

Seroka leads the Port of Los Angeles, the busiest container port in North America, overseeing major initiatives involving infrastructure, cargo technology, workforce development and zero-emission operations. He earned both his bachelor’s degree and MBA from what is now LSU New Orleans and serves on the University’s Alumni Board of Directors.

“Gene Seroka brings a combination of global industry experience and a deep connection to our university,” said Alí R. Bustamante, director of the Institute for Economic Development and Real Estate Research. “Bringing him together with the leaders of Southeast Louisiana’s major ports gives our students and the public a rare opportunity to hear how changes in global trade translate into decisions about infrastructure, investment and jobs that will shape the future of Louisiana’s economy.”

Joining Seroka for the moderated discussion will be Beth Ann Branch, president and CEO of Port NOLA and CEO of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad; Julia Fisher-Cormier, executive director of the Port of South Louisiana; and Bo Ethridge, executive director of Louisiana Gateway Port.

The conversation will explore changing trade routes, infrastructure investment, supply-chain technology, workforce needs, resilience and regional coordination, connecting the global perspective of the Port of Los Angeles with the opportunities and challenges facing Louisiana’s port system.

The event is hosted by the Institute for Economic Development and Real Estate Research, a public service division of the LSU New Orleans College of Business Administration. The Institute provides applied research and technical assistance to public, private and nonprofit organizations and convenes programs focused on economic development, real estate and regional growth.

Event Details

Date: Monday, Aug. 31, 2026 Time: 3:30–4:45 p.m.

Location: Geoghegan Grand Ballroom, second floor, Homer L. Hitt Alumni and Visitors Center, LSU New Orleans

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LSU New Orleans history professor Dr. Marc Landry has received the 2026 George Perkins Marsh Prize for the best book in environmental history for his book, Mountain Battery: The Alps, Water, and Power in the Fossil Fuel Age.

Landry, an associate professor in the History Department and director of the Austrian Marshall Plan Center for European Studies, received the award March 27 at the annual meeting of the American Society for Environmental History in Kansas City.

Published by Stanford University Press, Mountain Battery examines the role of hydropower and the Alpine landscape in the development of modern Europe. The George Perkins Marsh Prize recognizes outstanding scholarship in environmental history and honors books that offer innovative perspectives on the relationship between the environment and social, economic and political history.

The award committee praised Landry’s book as “a new take on the global history of electrification,” highlighting his use of the Alpine landscape to examine European and energy history.

Landry’s connection to the Alps began during his undergraduate years at what is now LSU New Orleans, when he participated in the University’s Academic Year Abroad program in Innsbruck, Austria. His experience living among the Alps sparked his interest in exploring the region’s role in European history.

He later returned to Austria for additional research at the University of Innsbruck, supported by the Botstiber Institute and Fulbright Austria. That research ultimately contributed to Mountain Battery, which explores how Alpine hydropower helped shape nation-building, industrialization and warfare during the 19th and 20th centuries.

The George Perkins Marsh Prize marks the second major honor Landry has received for the book. In fall 2025, he received the Baker-Burton Award for the best first book in European history by a scholar at a Southern college or university.

The publication of Mountain Battery was substantially supported by the LSU New Orleans Office of Research, highlighting the University’s commitment to supporting faculty scholarship and research with national and international impact.

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Ervin Johnson, an All-American at the University of New Orleans and a first-round NBA draft pick, has joined the LSU New Orleans men's basketball coaching staff.

The university formally welcomed Johnson back on Friday, August 14, during a press conference at Lakefront Arena, marking a full-circle moment for one of the most accomplished players in Privateer history.

During his four seasons on the Lakefront from 1989-93, Johnson helped lead the Privateers to 87 victories, three conference championships, two NCAA Tournament appearances and an NIT appearance. He established 26 school records and remains the only Privateer selected in the first round of the NBA Draft.

After being selected 23rd overall in the 1993 NBA Draft, Johnson went on to play 13 seasons in the NBA with Seattle, Denver, Milwaukee and Minnesota. He appeared in 845 games during his professional career.

Johnson's No. 40 jersey was retired in 1997, making him the first Privateer to have his number retired and displayed in the rafters of Lakefront Arena. He was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.

Johnson's path to the NBA was anything but conventional. A native of Jonesville, Louisiana, he did not play high school basketball. After arriving at UNO, he walked into then-head coach Tim Floyd's office in 1988 seeking an opportunity, eventually earning a scholarship and becoming one of the greatest players in program history.

By the end of his college career, Johnson had become the Privateers' all-time leader in rebounds, blocked shots and field-goal percentage, while scoring 1,608 points. He was named Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year as a senior after leading UNO to a 26-4 record and an undefeated conference season.

Following his playing career, Johnson devoted himself to mentoring young people, developing athletes, and using basketball as a vehicle to teach hard work, accountability, discipline, teamwork and perseverance. His leadership at the University will play an integral role in mentoring its students and preparing them for success well beyond their time on campus. For LSU New Orleans, his arrival represents both a connection to the program's past and is an investment in its future.

Middle school students spent a week exploring the exciting world of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) during LSU New Orleans' PrivatEEL Camp. This immersive summer program combines engineering, robotics, computing and environmental science through hands-on learning. Held July 20–24, 2026, the camp welcomed students in grades 5-7 and encouraged them to think like engineers by designing, building and testing innovative projects inspired by real-world research.

Named by combining "Privateer," LSU New Orleans' mascot, with the robotic eel that serves as the program's signature project, PrivatEEL Camp demonstrates how engineers look to nature for inspiration when developing new technologies. Throughout the week, students learned about biomimicry by building and racing robotic eels modeled after the flexible movement of real eels, gaining firsthand experience with the engineering design process while strengthening their creativity, teamwork and problem-solving skills.

Beyond the robotic eel project and its friendly competition, campers explored 3D printing, digital design, computer programming, airboat construction, completed engineering challenges, and participated in sustainability activities that connected engineering with environmental stewardship. Each project encouraged students to experiment, test new ideas, and discover how classroom concepts can be applied to solve real-world problems.

PrivatEEL Camp is supported through a $302,663 award from the Office of Naval Research awarded to Dr. Brandon Taravella, a faculty member in the Boysie Bollinger School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, for the project spanning 2022–2026. The program reflects LSU New Orleans' commitment to expanding access to STEM education by introducing young learners to university research and emerging technologies. Through hands-on experiences, students are encouraged to see themselves as future scientists, engineers, and innovators while exploring the wide range of career opportunities available in STEM fields.

"Research should not feel out of reach—it should inspire curiosity and invite students to explore what is possible," said Dr. Carol Lunn, assistant vice president for research at LSU New Orleans. "By creating approachable, hands-on research experiences, we can engage the next generation of researchers and help students discover how their interests can grow into future careers in STEM."

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