Southern University Chair
Dr. Patrick E. Carriere, P.E.
 Dr. Patrick Carriere received his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from
Texas A&M University-College Station. Prior to joining Southern
University-Baton Rouge in 1998, he held faculty positions at both Texas
A&M-Kingsville and West Virginia University-Morgantown. In 1999, he
became the chair of the Department of Civil Engineering. From March 2003
to August 2005, he was the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate
Programs. From August 2004 to August 2005, he served as Program Director
at the National Science Foundation in both Divisions of Undergraduate
Education and Engineering Education and Centers. In 2006, he served as
the Program Chair for the 2006 American Society for Engineering
Education-Gulf Southwest Conference and the Steering Planning Committee
Chair for the FEMA/HBCUs Conference Region 6. He is currently the
Associate Dean of the College of Engineering, Massie Chair of Excellence
Professor, and Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering.
Dr. Carriere has worked extensively on numerous environmental and
water resources projects. His research interests are in the area of
bioremediation, treatment of municipal and industrial wastewater, and
groundwater modeling. He has authored and co-authored many refereed
journals and articles. Dr. Carriere received many teaching and research
awards. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE),
American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and many other
professional organizations. In 1995, he was selected as the Outstanding
Researcher of the College of Engineering at West Virginia University.
Dr. Carriere received many Outstanding Faculty awards in 1998, 1999, and
2000.
A Discussion with Dr. Carriere on Program Goals
"As of May 15, 2000, I was appointed the new
DOE Massie Chair of Excellence. Our main program goals are to provide a
focal point for all environmental research for the university, to
support various environmental curricula, to develop a state-of-the art
environmental analytical laboratory recognized on a local, state,
national, international level, and to provide services for
community-based environmental programs
A new interdisciplinary team consisting of
scientists and engineers from the University is focusing on several
environmental areas of interest to the Department of Energy. They are:
bioremediation, bioaccumulation of heavy metals using aquatic organisms,
phytoremediation of toxic metals using aquatic plants and microalgae,
bioavailability and toxicity of organic and inorganic pollutants,
development of bio-environmental sensors, and fuel cell test station
technology. Our goal is to acquire external funding through proposals
generated by the team and become a self-sustained program.
We are also developing a state-of-the-art
environmental laboratory to support the research and to reinforce the
academic undergraduate and graduate instruction and research in
environmental engineering and science. In addition to the current
computer-interfaced instrumentation consisting of a Gas
Chromatography/Mass Spectrometer, Ion Chromatograph, Fuel Cell test
station, Potentiostat, and Respirometer, an Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP)
spectrometer has recently been donated for metals analyses. An
opportunity for growth and excellence in environmental engineering and
science studies are provided with the goal of extending the lab
resources to other disciplines at the University.
As part of our outreach, we stimulate
interest in the pursuit of careers and community service in
environmental science and technology. Special service to communities
distant from teacher resources are provided to expose disadvantaged
middle and high school students from small towns, and rural areas on how
environmental issues relate to everyday life in and around their
communities, as well as other regions of the world. A special effort is
made to assist and train middle and high school teachers through
workshops.
Finally, we are making every effort to
address environmental justice in small communities in Louisiana by
providing technical assistance to Mayors and residents in small
communities. Our program has established a partnership with seven Mayors
from small towns in Louisiana that make up the Communities Collaborating
for Economic Development (CCED). The program provides them technical
assistance and assists them with proposal writing for physical
infrastructure problems.
In summary, our program is striving to
collaborate with the academic community, industry, federal agencies, and
state and local government. This diverse community can therefore share a
commitment to enhance the research in the areas of environmental science
and engineering."
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