Tag: LSU

LSU Students Create a Beach Wheelchair

An article recently published on 4WWL explores the amazing beach wheelchair design of LSU students. On April 30, Cheslyn Simpson was officially able to visit the beach with her family with help from nine Louisiana State University engineering students.

The group of dedicated students designed and built a motorized wheelchair so that the 23-year-old from Plaquemine, La can comfortably visit the beach with her family on their annual beach vacation trip. The Simpson family would usually use a regular wheelchair, but beaches are not wheelchair accessible in terms of travel. Recreational wheelchairs are extremely uncommon.

The initial plans for the wheelchair were created by seniors in the class 2018, who were not able to take the next step toward building and testing the wheelchair. They did, however, leave their plans with the hopes of the next graduating class finishing the project and gifting it to Simpson.

Simpson has Friedreich’s Ataxia, a rare genetic disease that causes progressive damage to the nervous system and movement problems. The disorder normally displays symptoms between 10 and 15 years old. The disorder causes impaired speech, a loss of sensation in the arms and legs, and difficulty walking. In 2017, Simpson’s speech therapists urged her to write as essay asking for help visiting the beach with her family to the LSU Senior Capstone Design Program.

The wheelchair has three fat wheels for navigation, a cup holder, a cooler, and a Bluetooth speaker to play music. The students also included headlights, umbrella holders, and lights on the underside of the wheelchair that change colors. The group also consulted with Simpson on the design of the wheelchair as she chose the colors and the upholstery.

The initial group that began the project received a donation of $3,000 from the LSU Foundation. This year’s group created a GoFundMe that doubled the amount. Local businesses donated the welding and the frame. A company in New Zealand donated the motors. The students had every intention of purchasing all of the materials they needed but, thanks to generous donors, they didn’t have to.

To prevent the Simpson family from spending an unimaginable amount of money on a special wheelchair charger, the students made the new chair compatible with the one the family used for Cheslyn’s everyday chair.

This year there were 46 teams for the Senior Capstone Design Program. Each team was assigned a project and, this year, the projects varied immensely. There was a portable wheelchair for a child with cerebral palsy, a neighborhood surveillance system, a smart WiFi router system, and even a system to test the resistance of various sugarcane chopper blades to wear and tear.

The students participating in the Senior Capstone Design Program are all electrical and/or mechanical engineering majors at the university. This program is a way for them to take what they learned and put it to the test. It is safe to say that this project is one that most of them will not forget.

For more education related information, click here.

 

LSU Study puts School’s Statewide Economic Impact at 5.1 Billion

 

According to this article written by nola.com, “Louisiana State University had a $5.1 billion economic impact on Louisiana in 2017 thanks to the jobs it created, the lifetime earnings of grads and a range of other factors.” This information was discovered after there was a study done by LSU’s Economics and Policy Research group. It was stated that “The study is the first time the school has measured its impact both systemwide and individually for each of its eight campuses.”

Nola.com has pointed out that the study “relies on multiple data points to show the size of the university’s economic footprint, including jobs created by LSU alumnus and faculty, the role of the university in attracting talent and businesses to Louisiana, and the collective increased lifetime earnings of all graduates”.

For more information, including a breakdown of economic impact by campus, click here.

Benny Cenac, Houma Philanthropist, Provides LSU Endowment

Benny Cenac, Houma Philanthropist and CEO of Cenac Marine Services, was honored for his donation of $250,000 for an endowed Scholarship towards the Swimming and Diving programs at LSU. The scholarship is named The Cenac Family Endowed Scholarship Fund.

At the LSU VS. Auburn game on October 14th, many Tiger Athletic Foundation (TAF) donors were honored for their generous gifts made to support the LSU Athletic programs. In a video the TAF posted on Facebook, you can watch the ceremony.

The ceremony was a special presentation to honor a group of incredible individuals who are committed to the TAF and the athletic foundation.  These honorees will be remembered forever for their incredible passion and effort to educate student athletes at LSU.  Along with the honorees on the field were legacy students, athletes and coaches who have also committed to giving LSU their all on and off the field.  Also on the field to present awards was President and CEO of the TAF, Rick Perry and Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics, Joe Alleva.  Mr. Benny Cenac, Houma Philanthropist and owner of Cenac Marine Services, was honored to be amongst those in attendance.

The donation will go into a fund with LSU and is accrued from the investment fund used to provide scholarships. Mr. Cenac’s donation will help the Swimming and Diving program as long as LSU is in existence.

LSU’s Swimming and Diving program is one of the best in the country, thanks to donations and support like that given so generously by prominent businessman, Mr. Benny Cenac.  Opened in the summer 1985, the LSU Natatorium has served as the exclusive home of the swimming and diving teams for the past 26 seasons.

The complex features a 50-meter pool, which can be converted into two 25-meter or 25-yard pools with the use of bulkheads. Furthermore, the facility houses a championship diving well, which was completely renovated in the summer 2003 with one- and three-meter springboards and five-, seven- and 10-meter platforms.

With donations from supportive philanthropists and business like Cenac of Houma, programs added new graphics and signage throughout the venue in the fall 2011 and upgraded the scoring system in the fall 2008, unveiling a pair of state-of-the-art videoboards. Refurbished locker rooms were also completed in September 1998. The spacious locker rooms feature separate varsity lockers, both for men and women, and include public showers and locker areas.

The facility has played host to several national competitions, including the 1985 National Sports Festival, the 1986 Men’s Southeastern Conference Championships, the 1987 NCAA Diving Regional and the U.S. Diving National Championships in the spring 1987. The Natatorium was also the host facility during the 1999 NCAA Regional Diving Championships.

Last season both the men’s and women’s swimming and diving squads posted fifth place finishes at the SEC Championships. The second consecutive top-five finishes for both teams bodes well for the future of the program.

LSU has returned six women and two men who qualified for the NCAA Championships, including NCAA All-American Honorable Mention divers Alex Bettridge and Daniel Helm and distance swimmer Craig Hamilton. In addition to a strong recruiting class, four athletes named to the All-SEC Freshman team return to solidify the team’s core.

The landmark is located immediately north of the LSU Field House and can comfortably accommodate 2,200 spectators. Admission to all LSU swimming and diving meets is free.

Thank you, Mr. Cenac, and all other donors that understand the importance and impact they have on these talented students.

For more information on the endowment Scholarship, you can click here. And you can find more information on the Tiger Athletic Foundation, here. For more on Benny Cenac’s Houma Philanthropy please click here.