Spring 2024 Dean's Advisory Council Meeting

The College of Engineering’s Dean’s Advisory Council (DAC) convened for their Spring 2024 meeting this past Friday, and it was packed with exciting news and events. Here are highlights from the meeting:

Georges Antoun, DAC chairman opened the meeting and warmly welcomed Mr. Phillip May, President and CEO of Entergy Louisiana, as a new attending member. Mr. May joins the ranks of three other recently appointed members, bringing a wealth of experience and insights to the council. The two additional members include Ms. Lila Fox, owner of Lila Fox Company and Mr. Scott Hoffpauir, Founder & Managing Partner of TrueNorth 2.0. Click here→ for more information on all DAC members.

The Spring 2024 DAC meeting included the following members: Georges Antoun, Peter Bernard, Julie Emerson, Lila Fox, Greg Guidry, Scott Hoffpauir, Phillip May, Missy Rogers.

In a departure from their usual meeting structure, the DAC embarked on a journey to New Iberia. There, they participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for the New Iberia Research Center (NIRC) Biosafety Level 3 Laboratory and took a captivating tour of the expansive First Solar site at the Acadiana Regional Airport. Mr. Greg Guidry, DAC Vice-chairman, led an open discussion with members during the bus trip to New Iberia.

In the afternoon, the council received updates from Dean Khattab, who shared an array of recent successes within the college. These included notable increases in research expenditures, freshman class enrollment, and second-semester and second-year retention rates across the College of Engineering.

The group previewed information on the new engineering building and the influences that the newly piloted Engineering Center of Excellence (ECoE) will have on the design and use of the new student-centered collaborative engineering building. “The new building is not just a building but it’s part of the college’s vision for engineering education’s future,” said Dean Khattab. “ECoE is where education meets innovation, it is not just a center, it’s a dynamic movement and a bold vision,” continued Khattab. With groundbreaking on the horizon, anticipation is building for the enormous impact this project will bring.

Stay tuned for more updates as the College of Engineering continues to innovate and excel on its journey of academic success.

Pictured from left to right: Corinne Dupuy, Lila Fox, Phillip May, Missy Rogers, Dean Ahmed Khattab, Peter Bernard, Georges Antoun (Chairman), Scott Hoffpauir and Greg Guidry (Vice Chairman).  Not pictured is Representative Julie Emerson