The Graduate School at the University of ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ at Lafayette has announced the recipients of the Sustainable Development Research Grants for graduate students.
These awards, totaling $40,000, aim to support research that addresses pressing local and global challenges in alignment with the Goals (SDGs).
The purpose of these grants is to showcase UL Lafayette graduate student research, prioritize sustainable development in ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥, and highlight the interconnectedness of economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection. The awards provide seed money for innovative projects, reward completed projects, and create a portfolio of research that will be showcased at the Graduate Student Sustainable Development Research Summit on April 12, 2024.
These grants are part of a larger collaboration between five campus entities: Academic Affairs—Student and Faculty Excellence, the Graduate School, the Office of Campus Inclusion, the Office of Sustainability, and Dr. Brian Bolton, professor of Finance and the Dwight W. Andrus, Jr. / BORSF Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair in Finance.
The 2024 Graduate Student Sustainable Development Research Award Recipients:
Jahidul Alam(English Ph.D. program)
Francis Bacon and Early Modern Environment: Exploring How Salomon’s House Refutes His Anthropocene
SDGs 6, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
Faculty Reference: Dr. Clancy Ratliff
Leticia Andrus (Educational Leadership Ed.D. program)
Diversity Beyond Borders: A Literature Review of the Representation of International Students in Diversity Discourses in American Universities
SDGs 4, 8, 16, 17
Faculty Reference: Dr. Sebnem Cilesiz
Bipin Bastakoti(Environmental Resource Science (M.S. program)
Soil Health Degradation in the Vermilion-Teche Basin of ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥
SDGs 2, 8, 13, 15
Faculty Reference: Dr. Durga Poudel
Presious Batubo(Earth and Energy Science Ph.D. program)
Analyzing Sedimentary Deposits to Reconstruct Medium-sized Paleo-Tsunami using Deep Neural Networks
SDGs 9, 11
Faculty Reference: Dr. Gabriele Morra
Katarina Brankovic (Francophone Studies Ph.D. program)
Building a Culture of Inclusivity, Diversity, and Accessibility: Advancing Sustainability at the University of ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ at Lafayette
SDGs 4, 11, 16
Administrative Reference: Dr. Carol Landry
Markashia Brown(Educational Leadership Ed.D. program)
What do we already know about the Financial Literacy of Women & First-Generation African- American Women Students
SDGs 4, 5, 8, 10
Faculty Reference: Amanda Mayeaux
Redeemer Buatsi (Communication M.S. program)
Reporting Rape in the United States-A Content Analysis of Media Coverage of Rape in the State of ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥
SDGs 3, 5, 16
Faculty Reference: Dr. Patricia Holmes
Kirsten Cases (Architecture M.Arch. program)
Reacclimating Neglected Infrastructure Through Stabilizing Carbon Dynamics
SDGs 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17
Faculty References: Professors Corey Saft & Olivia Pontiff
Allison Comeaux (Educational Leadership Ed.D. program)
How Do Post-Secondary Disability Service Accommodations in the U.S. Impact Educational Attainment
SDGs 4, 16
Faculty Reference: Dr. Amanda Mayeaux
Anamika Das (English M.A. program)
Application of Natural Semantic Metalanguage in cross-cultural meaning analysis: comparing the usage of Bangla happy greetings with American English
SDGs 4, 10, 16, 17
Faculty Reference: Dr. Mark Honegger
Shayan Ebrahimi (Systems Engineering Ph.D. program)
Accelerating Decarbonization through Digital Twinning
SDGs 7, 9, 12
Faculty Reference: Dr. Farzad Ferdowsi
Kubiat George (Engineering: Chemical M.S. program)
Synergistic effect of UV and condensation on the degradation of carbon black reinforced EPON- IPD thermosets with high enthalpy storage of shape memory
SDGs 2, 6, 9, 11
Faculty Reference: Dr. William Chirdon
Holly Heafner (Environmental Resource Science M.S. program)
Environmental inequities and lead toxicity: a geospatial and demographic evaluation of soil contamination in Lafayette, LA
SDGs 3, 4, 10, 11, 16
Faculty Reference: Dr. Anna Paltseva
Atif Khan (Engineering: Civil M.S. program)
Utilization of Sugarcane Bagasse ash and Rice Husk ash in sustainable construction bricks
SDGs 7, 8, 9, 11, 12
Faculty Reference: Dr. Md. Jamal Khattak
Farooq Azam Khanzada (Systems Engineering Ph.D. program)
Does Automated Enforcement at Signalized Intersections Truly Enhance Safety?
SDGs 11
Faculty Reference: Dr. Xiaoduan Sun
Deepak Jain Veerendra Kumar (Systems Engineering Ph.D. program)
Advancing Soiling Loss Predictions in PV Systems with Enhanced Models
SDGs 7, 13
Faculty Reference: Dr. Terry Chambers
Tyrell Lassair (Earth and Energy Science Ph.D. program)
Urban Agriculture as a Strategy to Increase Food Access and Alleviate Food Insecurity
SDGs 2, 3, 4
Faculty Reference: Dr. Anna Paltseva
Lillian Mambiri (Systems Engineering Ph.D. program)
Bio-fabrication via Stereolithography of 4D Polycaprolactone-based Scaffolds for Osteogenesis, Angiogenesis and Tumor Mechanobiology
SDGs 1, 3, 10, 12
Faculty Reference: Dr. Dilip Depan
Mahpara Mashiyat(Earth and Energy Science Ph.D. program)
Observations of structural and functional changes in mineral and organic soil wetlands caused by saltwater intrusion events in ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥
SDGs 13, 14, 15
Faculty Reference: Dr. Jorge Villa
Tasnima Supty (Biology M.S. program)
Impact of Childhood Adversity on Neuroinflammation: Exploring the Connections & Implications
SDGs 3, 4, 8, 11, 16
Faculty Reference: Dr. Karen Smith
Jon-Patric Veal (Psychology M.S. program)
How Variations in Perspective Taking Can Mediate the Effects of Empathy on Implicit Racial Bias
SDGs 10, 16
Faculty Reference: Dr. Emily Sandoz
Renee Vincent (English Ph.D. program)
When DNR Means 'Do Not Rescue': Hurricane Katrina and Medical Inequity within Disaster
SDGs 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 17
Faculty Reference: Dr. David Squires
More information on the first round and the entire Sustainable Development Project can be found here.
For more information about the Sustainable Development Research Awards Program and grant recipients, visit
