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Watch Commencement Livestream

Art & Design, Students, Landscape Architecture, Interior Design, Events, Art, Architecture, Faculty, Doctor of Design

The spring 2026 LSU College of Art & Design commencement ceremony will take place Friday, May 15 at 4 p.m. in the LSU Maddox Field House.

Watch ceremony recording.

About the Commencement Speaker

Scott BallardScott Ballard is the owner of Ballard Brands, LLC, the Louisiana-based hospitality company behind PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans, WOW American Eats and several other nationally recognized restaurant concepts. He currently serves as Immediate Past Chair of the LSU Board of Supervisors and is Chairman of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI), while also serving on several educational, economic development, and civic boards across the state. Scott has earned numerous honors for his leadership in business, higher education, and economic development throughout Louisiana. A Tulane University graduate, Scott is passionate about education, leadership, innovation, and supporting the next generation of creative thinkers and entrepreneurs.

 

LSU Researchers Digitize Art & Artifacts for All

Art & Design, Digital Art, Doctor of Design

The Future of Heritage: Why Digitizing Art and Cultural Artifacts Matters

In an era defined by rapid technological evolution, the way we preserve and engage with human history is undergoing a profound shift. Museums and cultural institutions—long considered the guardians of our shared heritage—face increasing challenges in making their collections accessible to the public.

As LSU Doctor of Design student Meredyth Yorek emphasizes, “access to cultural artifacts and art is essential because it allows the public to understand human history, recognize the patterns that repeat across civilizations, and better inform how we move forward.”

Yet today, most of that history remains hidden from view.

Researchers are looking for ways to share human history with the public, and digitization presents possibilities. 3D technology is enabling the creation of digital museums that equalize access to viewing artifacts and cultural heritage. LSU digital art faculty and students are innovating and advancing these efforts, part of a global movement looking toward the future. The aim is to give access to priceless artifacts to people worldwide, including communities in Louisiana who otherwise might never get to view them.

A Hidden 95% of Human History

Despite their mission to educate and inspire, museums typically display only a small fraction of their collections—often just 5-8%. The remaining 95% resides in storage, unseen and unknown to the public. Yorek warns that what is displayed is often shaped by specific curatorial narratives, meaning that visitors may be missing vital perspectives and insights that could deepen their understanding of the past.

This limited visibility stems from familiar constraints: limited exhibition space, the high cost of display, and the delicate condition of many artifacts. Some objects—particularly those made of fragile or sensitive materials—may never be exhibited at all.

“Protecting and preserving our cultural heritage is vital to understanding our future and our humanity,” Arne Flaten, Professor of Art History and Dean of the LSU College of Art & Design.

Protecting and Preserving Cultural Heritage

Without access and understanding of cultural artifacts, art, and historical objects, cultural heritage will become lost to communities around the world.

Historically, stolen antiquities have been taken from communities worldwide, and today many people don’t have equal access to arts & cultural institutions such as museums where the historical objects of their ancestors are housed, he said.

With the recent opening of the new UNESCO’s Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects, global access to these objects is now more accessible than ever before.

Without the physical constraints of a brick-and-mortar exhibition space, the possibilities are limitless.

Digitization as a Pathway to Accessibility

Digital technology is transforming these limitations into opportunities. New imaging tools such as photogrammetry and LiDAR allow specialists to create highly accurate, non-invasive 3D models of cultural objects. These models preserve the artifact’s form and surface details while eliminating the risk associated with handling fragile originals.

Yorek’s own research with the LSU Museum of Art highlights this potential. Their collection of ivory artifacts, for example, cannot be easily displayed due to strict conservation protocols and limited gallery space. Through 3D digitization, however, the museum can safely and ethically share these objects with the public in virtual environments.

Meredyth photographing object in museum

Yorek detailing cultural artifact at the LSU Museum of Art. Photo by Kevin Duffy.

“Virtual technologies also enable us to curate and interpret objects in ways that are impossible in traditional museum settings,” said Yorek.

While digital preservation presents its own challenges—such as the long-term maintenance of digital data—it offers an unprecedented avenue for interactivity, learning, and public engagement. A 3D artifact can be placed into the hands of anyone with a smartphone, website access, or VR headset – anywhere in the world.

Reimagining Context Through Virtual Worlds

Digitization does more than make hidden artifacts visible—it allows us to restore their original context. Yorek’s work with the LSU Rural Life Museum involves a fragile, 1,000-year-old Indigenous dugout canoe that may not survive relocation or future display

Such contextualization is impossible in traditional museum galleries, where space and conservation concerns limit interpretation. Digital environments, by contrast, make the impossible possible.

The LSU Rural Life Museum is dedicated to the preservation and exhibition of materials from the cultures of 18th and 19th-century rural Louisianans, said Katherine Fresina, LSU Rural Life Museum Curatorial Director.

A next step of object preservation is digitization. “The LSU Rural Life Museum is excited to work with Meredyth Yorek as she works with digitizing delicate objects and buildings in the collection,” Fresina said.

“During her work with the indigenous dugout canoe in the museum collection, Meredyth illustrated why digitizing art and artifacts matters,” Fresina said. “The dugout needed to be moved from its current display area and due to the fragility of the boat, we were concerned about damage and loss during the move. Meredyth presented the idea of scanning the boat to retain the data, illustrating the reasons behind digitizing objects and artwork. The nature of the dugout makes preservation challenging.”

“Scanning objects like this one will ensure the data is preserved for future research. This also allows fragile objects to be on display digitally, keeping the object preserved and allowing museum visitors to engage with the digital version.”

From Viewing to Experiencing: Immersive Engagement

Even more transformative are innovations that borrow from video game design. Instead of static displays, Yorek’s thesis project with the LSU Museum of Art explores how game engines can build interactive museum experiences. For the museum’s ivory collection, she has designed an escape-room–style digital gallery in which users unlock rooms, earn rewards, and explore artifacts by solving challenges.

This interactive approach reshapes museum-going, turning passive viewing into active participation. It also helps museums engage younger audiences who are accustomed to digital interactivity and immersive storytelling, Yorek said.

“Digital twins – highly detailed, interactive virtual replica of a real-world space, object, or system – create new ways to make information usable,” said Jason Jamerson, assistant professor of digital art. “Digital twins will continue to enable innovation by making reality navigable and understandable via technology.”

Shaping the Future of Cultural Connection

Technological advances represent a bold future for museums and cultural heritage. Digitization democratizes access, allowing people everywhere—not just those who can physically visit museums—to explore and learn from the past. Immersive technologies deepen that access, offering new ways to interpret, contextualize, and interact with artifacts.

3D technologies dramatically expand what is possible for cultural accessibility, Yorek said. “It allows us not only to view objects that cannot be displayed physically, but also to understand them in richer, more meaningful contexts. Digitization increases cultural knowledge, while immersive design techniques offer new, lasting forms of engagement. Together, they provide powerful tools for shaping the future of how we connect with our past.”

Digitization is not merely a technical upgrade; it is a fundamental transformation in how we preserve, share, and connect with human history. By embracing these tools, museums and cultural institutions can ensure that the stories of our past remain alive, accessible, and relevant for future generations.

More:

UNESCO Virtual Museum Of Stolen Cultural Objects Is Designed To Vanish 

The World’s First Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects Wants Its Collection to Shrink, Not Grow) 

 

Kevin Enriquez Named National Olmsted Scholar Finalist 2026

Art & Design, Students, Research, Landscape Architecture, Honors & Awards, ,

Kevin by design poster presentation

Master of Landscape Architecture candidate Kevin Enriquez is a 2026 Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) National Olmsted Scholar Finalist, one of eight graduate students selected nationwide.

Kevin Enriquez is a graduate student in the LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture. With a background in architecture in his home country, Ecuador, he developed a strong passion for creativity, poetry, and artistic expression. His work focuses on resilient systems and green infrastructure strategies that address water management in vulnerable communities. His research explores how ancestral hydrological knowledge and contemporary landscape design strategies can work together to transform flood risks into opportunities for community resilience. Through his work, Kevin seeks to translate resilient landscape strategies into accessible tools for vulnerable territories.

Kevin presenting project Designing Resilient Futures

“From my perspective, landscape architecture is not just about designing spaces, but about imagining and building resilient futures for communities. Being an Olmsted Scholar Finalist serves as a great motivation to continue working toward that vision,” he said.

“This recognition is well deserved,” said Yao Wang, faculty advisor and assistant professor of landscape architecture. “Kevin’s work demonstrates a thoughtful integration of ecological systems, cultural knowledge, and resilient landscape strategies.”

Kevin and Dr. Wang

The premier leadership recognition program for landscape architecture students, the LAF Olmsted Scholars Program has “honored and supported students who are using ideas, influence, communication, service, and leadership to advance sustainable design and foster human and societal benefits.” The program recognizes one outstanding student from each accredited landscape architecture program in the U.S. and Canada, along with the jury-selected graduate and undergraduate national winners and finalists.

The winners and finalists were selected from a group of 56 graduate and 41 undergraduate students nominated by their faculty for their exceptional leadership potential. Learn more and see the full group of 2026 LAF Olmsted Scholars.

“I congratulate you on your achievements and welcome you to the community of 1,351 LAF Olmsted Scholars named since the program’s inception in 2008. We appreciate your good work and commitment to the transformative power of landscape architecture,” said Barbara L. Deutsch, FASLA, LAF CEO.

design rendering of promenade with greenway

Sabana, by Kevin Enriquez.

About LAF

About the Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture

 

Art & Design Students Win Awards at LSU Discover Day 2026

Students, Research, Events, Art History, Art, Painting & Drawing, Photography, Publicity, BA, , ,
Professor and female student by paintings

Professor Kelli Scott Kelley and winner Aubrey Landaiche.

Aubrey Landaiche, Bachelor of Arts 2026, received the first place award for the LSU College of Art & Design at LSU Discover Day 2026. Her faculty mentor was Kelli Scott Kelley, professor of painting.

The annual undergraduate conference LSU Discover Day showcases the research and creative works completed by undergraduate students across all majors and from any accredited college or university. The event allows for students to present their work through poster, oral, art, performance, and visual display presentations. 

Her winning project “The Portrayal of Women in Horror Films: An Art Collection” analyzed the role of female characters in the horror film genre. She created paintings to visually communicate her thesis, and presented her project at Discover Day in April 2026.

Aubrey by paintings of women in horror films

“Discover Day helped prepare me to submit my artwork to galleries and exhibits,” Aubrey said. “The act of verbally communicating how my academic research influenced artistic intentions to my judges and peers served as great practice for the professional art world.”

“I loved the opportunity to network with my fellow students and show them the paintings I have worked so hard on. I only wish I started attending years earlier – I encourage all underclassmen to consider submitting in the future!”

The second place College of Art & Design winner Alexis Persicke (BFA/photography) for “Perspective Of”, a photographic project analyzing the role of identity in relation to self. The faculty mentor was Kristine Thompson, associate professor of photography.

The third place Art & Design winner was Corey Keller, art history major, for “La Pentecôte fresco: Maurice Denis’ Visual Remedy for a Fractured France.” The oral presentation is an art historical investigation of the Église du Saint-Esprit (Church of the Holy Spirit), located in the twelfth arrondissement of Paris. The faculty mentor was Darius Spieth, professor of art history.

“We would like to congratulate all of the presenters and say thank you to everyone that was involved in the 13th annual LSU Discover Day Undergraduate Research & Creativity Conference on April 17, 2026,” said the Office of Undergraduate Research.

Smiling student by painting

Art student Lauren Harper at Discover Day 2026.

About Discover Day

About LSU Office of Undergraduate Research

LSU Architecture Researchers Present at ARCC 2026

Art & Design, Research, Architecture, Faculty, Doctor of Design

LSU School of Architecture students and faculty presented their research at the Architectural Research Centers Consortium (ARCC) Conference Local Solutions for Global Issues April 8-11, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Presentations included:

Ana Cuadros, BArch ’26

“Rethinking Earthen Architecture in Latin America: Culturally Authentic and Sustainable Contemporary Design in Peruvian Schools”

Investigates the disconnect between contemporary building practices and traditional sustainable methods in Peru. The study advocates for a shift away from a dependence on industrialized materials like concrete and steel, proposing instead a revaluation of earthen techniques such as wattle and daub within the design of educational infrastructure. By integrating pre-Hispanic building technology with modern standards, the work demonstrates how vernacular materials can provide culturally authentic, thermally efficient, and carbon-conscious solutions for the future of Latin American architecture.

Masood Koochaki MArch/MLA ’26 & Saeid Jahromi, MArch ’26
“AI in Smart Buildings: Building the Steps toward the Future”

This research provides a comprehensive scoping review of 112 peer-reviewed publications to map the evolving role of Artificial Intelligence across the building life cycle, from generative design and construction informatics to operational digital twins. The study highlights how AI can accelerate design iterations by 40% and secure up to 19% in operational energy savings, while proposing a four-pillar governance strategy to address critical gaps in data continuity, privacy, and algorithmic bias.

Katarina Wang, MArch ’26

“Radius of Repose: A Digitally Enhanced Frit Lace Technique”

The technique developed during this research offers a method of kiln forming glass that does not require the use of a refractory mold during firing, instead allowing the glass to remain unconstrained while molten. By allowing freedom of movement during the firing process, this technique reveals consistent behavioral patterns that can be analyzed to study the shape behavior and movement of the glass relative to its digitally designed pattern and loose frit arrangement. This digitally enhanced frit lace method could help close the gap between the dynamic movement of molten glass and computational control, creating a path for further integration of this historically delicate craft within the world of architecture. 

Soo Jeong Jo, Assistant Professor

“Indoor Lighting Environment and Natural Ventilation Strategies of the Seokguram Grotto in Its Original Form” (with Jimin Lee and Jihuyn Park)

Seokguram Grotto, built in the 8th century, is a UNESCO World Heritage site located in South Korea. This study investigated the environmental quality of the original design of this historic site employing various simulation tools, aiming to explore the intersections between quantitative and qualitative areas of architectural design.

Fabio Capra-Ribeiro, Assistant Professor

“From Data to Design: A Geospatial Framework for Locating Wildlife Crossings as a Glocal Solution to Habitat Fragmentation”

Roads are fragmenting ecosystems, but where exactly should we build wildlife crossings? We developed a geospatial and machine learning framework to shift from reactive siting to evidence-based priority mapping. This transferable methodology turns open-access data into policy-ready spatial guidance for smarter infrastructure investment and landscape-scale connectivity planning.

Kris Palagi, Associate Professor

Vaulted Insulated Metal Roof Panel, Kristopher Palagi, Dr. Soo Jeong Jo, Dr. Sabarethinam Kameshwar, Dorna Jokar

This multidisciplinary initiative explores the potential of a site-built stress-skin panel, the Vaulted Insulated Metal Roof Panel (vIMRP), to facilitate low-cost residential roof assemblies. The paper complements full-scale construction of the proposed roof assembly with computational modeling and analysis of the structural and thermal efficacy of the system. The proposed vIMRP incorporates corrugated galvanized metal sheets as an exposed vaulted ceiling surface to increase the structural capacity of the panel and eliminate additional costs due to Finishing Trades. The paper presents two cycles of a recursive action research sequence that weave together faculty from the LSU Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering and the LSU School of Architecture. Findings from the research include key techniques in the sequence of construction, deflection tables, along with thermal insulation analysis and strategies for roof and eaves details.

LSU School of Architecture director Marwan Ghandour also attended the conference, hosted by Kennesaw State University.

 

Nikki Perry Wins LSU Purple Award 2026

Art & Design, Students, Honors & Awards, Architecture,

Nikki Perry with LSU Purple awardBachelor of Architecture student Nicole (Nikki) Perry is the 2026 winner of the LSU Purple Award, an LSU Student Employee of the Year honor.

The LSU Student Employee program aims to recognize students who go above and beyond in their role. “A student’s exceptional effort could be demonstrated through a variety of contributions including communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and leadership.” Winners of the Purple Award “excel in areas like Innovation, Creativity, Research, Unique Contribution,” according to the LSU Olinde Career Center.

“Please join us in congratulating Nikki and Maddi on this well-deserved recognition. Their work reflects the highest standards of excellence and embodies what it means to be a leader at LSU,” the LSU Olinde Career Center said in a statement.

Nikki serves as a student research assistant in the Caribbean Spatial Justice Lab, directed by Fabio Capra-Ribeiro, assistant professor at LSU School of Architecture, where she has made exceptional contributions across two complex initiatives: a multi-phase Delphi study of Gulf Coast environmental nonprofits (Learning from Adversity: Transforming Louisiana’s Coastal Health Challenges into Regional Solutions) and the Student Sustainability Fund–supported Living Pods project.

“Most student employees excel in one lane. Nicole bridges human-subjects research operations and interdisciplinary design and fabrication, contributing to two complex projects run reliably,” Capra-Ribeiro said.

On the nonprofit study, Nikki anchors the full research operation, managing recruitment, coordinating multi-round survey administration, onboarding participants, and ensuring every phase advances on time and with integrity, Capra-Ribeiro said. When early recruitment threatened the project’s viability, she helped execute a strategic pivot, expanding the sampling frame from 35 Louisiana nonprofits to over 50 Gulf Coast organizations across multiple states and completing the IRB amendment required to proceed. She then rebuilt the Qualtrics survey logic that links individual responses across Delphi rounds, eliminating recurring errors and reducing rework. 

In Living Pods, she integrates a team that engages biodiversity and One Health considerations. Together, they took a leading role in designing the insect-hotel components and explore digital fabrication methods to move the group from concepts to buildable prototypes.

“She has become a key member of a team whose students share what they learn among themselves, organize their own time, and make significant progress with minimal guidance from faculty,” he said.

Nikki said she was surprised to learn she had received the award. “There were a lot of incredibly talented nominees, so I was certainly not expecting to hear my own name. I was very honored to have received such an accolade and have my work in the Caribbean Spatial Justice Lab with Dr. Fabio Capra-Ribeiro recognized. I’m proud to represent the College of Art & Design and the School of Architecture this way!”

In addition to her roles as an undergraduate researcher, Nicole is also a student in the Ogden Honors College and communications director for the Students for Historic Preservation student organization.

This year’s Gold Award went to Maddi Sansoucie.

Learn more about the LSU School of Architecture.

Learn more about the LSU Olinde Career Center.

Jeremiah Ariaz Awarded a 2026 Guggenheim Fellowship

Art & Design, Research, Honors & Awards, Art, Photography, Faculty

Fourth Estate, by Jeremiah Ariaz.

Jeremiah Ariaz, professor of art/photography, has been awarded a 2026 Guggenheim Fellowship in Photography, as part of the Guggenheim Foundation’s 101st Class of Fellows of trailblazing artists, scientists, and scholars across 55 fields.

Ariaz will focus his fellowship on his project The Fourth Estate in the Heart of America, a photographic and editorial project documenting newspaper offices as a celebration of local journalism’s civic role and a lament for its decline.

His photographs examine the constructs of American identity within personal, community, and political contexts.

“On behalf of my colleagues in the School of Art I’m very pleased and proud to congratulate Jeremiah Ariaz on receiving the recognition that this top-level award represents,” said Rod Parker, director of the LSU School of Art. “The long-standing tradition of support for photography from the Guggenheim Foundation aligns with LSU’s decades-long fine art photography tradition which his work, and the work of all our faculty exemplifies.”

“I’m very excited and humbled to share that I’ve been named a 2026 Guggenheim Fellow. What an honor to be amongst the 101st class of fellows across 55 disciplines, and share the honor with so many distinguished artists and thinkers I admire,” Ariaz said.

Ariaz is a recipient of numerous awards and grants, including an ATLAS grant, the Michael P. Smith Award for Documentary Photography from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the 2018 South Arts Finalist Prize and he was named the 2018 Louisiana State Fellow. A monograph of his photographs, Louisiana Trail Riders (2018) is available from UL Press. His photographs have been featured in publications including Oxford American, The Paris Review and The New York Times. His writing has been published in the Symphony in the Flint Hills Field Journal, Southern Cultures and The Washington Post.

His recent publication, The Kansas Mirror: The Fourth Estate in the Heart of America (2023) features newspaper offices across his home state. Read more.

His photographs have been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions internationally, including venues such as the Ogden Museum of Southern Art (New Orleans, LA), Lawndale Art Center (Houston, TX), Des Moines Art Center (Des Moines, IA), Columbus Museum of Art (Columbus, GA), Museum of Contemporary Art (Jacksonville, FL), the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University (Durham, NC), Zeitgeist Gallery (Nashville, TN), Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art (Manhattan, KS), the Acadiana Center For The Arts (Lafayette, LA), Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN), B Gallery (Rome, Italy), Photographic Gallery (San Miguel de Allende, Mexico) The Foreign Correspondents’ Club (Hong Kong, China).

He received his BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and MFA from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He has taught at the LSU School of Art since 2006.

About the Guggenheim Fellowship

The Board of Trustees of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation announced their appointment of the 101st class of Guggenheim Fellows in April 2026, including 223 distinguished individuals working across 55 disciplines. Chosen through a rigorous application and peer review process from a pool of nearly 5,000 applicants, the Class of 2026 Guggenheim Fellows was tapped based on both prior career achievement and exceptional promise. As established in 1925 by founder Senator Simon Guggenheim, each Fellow receives a monetary stipend to pursue independent work at the highest level under “the freest possible conditions.”   

“Our new class of Guggenheim Fellows is representative of the world’s best thinkers, innovators, and creators in art, science, and scholarship,” said Edward Hirsch, award-winning poet and President of the Guggenheim Foundation. “As the Foundation enters its second century and looks to the future, I feel confident that this new class of 223 individuals will do bold and inspiring work, undaunted by the challenges ahead. We are honored to support their visionary contributions.”   

The Guggenheim Foundation has always been committed to awarding Fellowships at the highest level. Since its founding in 1925, the Foundation has awarded nearly $450 million in fellowships to more than 19,000 Fellows. This year, applications in the Creative Arts and Humanities were up by 50% and applications in the Sciences were up by 86%. At a time when intellectual and creative life is under attack, the Foundation continues to demonstrate its commitment to supporting extraordinary individuals breaking new ground in the Creative Arts, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, and a range of interdisciplinary fields. 

In all, 55 scholarly disciplines and artistic fields, 97 academic institutions, 33 US states and the District of Columbia, three Canadian provinces, and eight countries beyond the United States and Canada are represented in the 2026 class. The Fellows range in age from 28 to 76, and around one third do not hold a full-time affiliation with a college or university.   

“Fellows’ projects grapple with timeless themes and timely issues. They explore the promise and perils of artificial intelligence, propose life-changing advancements in medical technology, unearth the historical roots of contemporary crises, and forge new directions in artistic expression.” 

Read more:

Announcing the 2026 Guggenheim Fellows — Guggenheim Fellowships: Supporting Artists, Scholars, & Scientists

Remy Cantrelle, NASA Intern & Space Artist

Art & Design, Students, Research, Art, Digital Art, ,
Remy Cantrelle

Remy Cantrelle

Remy Cantrelle, BFA/digital art major, has been interning for NASA – and the experience has been out of this world.

Remy is one of 16 talented undergraduate artists selected by NASA from across the nation to intern in the 2025-2026 Psyche Inspired cohort. Known as the Platinum Class, the student creators created a series of works inspired by the NASA Psyche mission. This year’s cohort includes students studying art & design, physics & astronomy, biomedical and aerospace engineering, chemistry, environmental public health and more.

Psyche Inspired

Psyche Inspired is a program that brings undergraduate students from any discipline or major together to share the excitement, innovation, and scientific and engineering content of NASA’s Psyche mission with the public in new ways through artistic and creative works. The works are shared on social media to communicate about NASA’s Psyche mission to the public, and exhibited in the showcase exhibition in April 2026.

Psyche Inspired is an interdisciplinary program where undergraduate students create artistic works that communicate the story and science of NASA’s Psyche mission to a broader audience, Remy said. She has learned about scientific concepts and Asteroid Psyche 16 while challenging herself creatively, she said.

“This program has encouraged me to push my digital art practice further and think more deeply about how I translate scientific ideas into visual work, and I’m excited to keep developing that.”

The internship has been an incredible experience, she said. “The most memorable part for me has been getting to see the other team members’ work and being inspired by them. Also, hearing from special guests from the NASA team and learning more about our main subject, Psyche 16, has helped bring more accuracy and even their theories into my work.”

Asteroid Psyche 16

Psyche 16 is a massive asteroid located in the main asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars, a metallic body that scientists believe may be the exposed core of an early planet. What’s special compared to some other asteroids is that this is mostly made out of metal, rather than rock or ice, making it a key scientific target for understanding planetary formation. 

Remy’s animated work Heart of a Planet is inspired by Asteroid Psyche 16, part of her art created during her Psyche Inspired internship. The one-minute digital animation was created in Adobe After Effects, using her skills gained studying digital art at the LSU School of Art.

Illustration of satellite orbiting glowing orange planet in space

The Lone Coast, by Remy Cantrelle.

Heart of a Planet

“What interests me most about Psyche is not only its scientific mystery, but the emotional meaning behind it. It represents something that was once hidden beneath layers of rock, now revealed. The idea of looking beneath a surface, whether planetary or personal, is the main concept guiding this animation.”

“In the animation, I imagine a slow journey inward. The piece begins in the quiet darkness of space, where Psyche appears distant and cool. As the viewer moves closer, faint glimmers and shifting textures appear across its metal surface, suggesting that something warm or luminous may exist within. The animation then shifts into a descent toward the molten interior, where light grows stronger and more fluid. This visual transformation mirrors the experience of discovery: the moment when something hidden becomes visible and meaningful. Instead of approaching this as a literal scientific depiction, I am focusing on the emotional atmosphere of exploration. The animation is shaped by feelings of awe, curiosity, stillness, and quiet realization. I want viewers to feel as if they are slowly uncovering something valuable or sacred, even though the setting is cosmic and distant.”

Watch:

 

Cosmic Creator

Originally from Lutcher, Louisiana, Remy chose LSU for its dynamic art and design environment and the opportunity to explore digital media in depth. “It stood out as a place where I could turn my ideas into meaningful work,” she said.

“What I love most about digital art is the freedom to experiment and bring imagined worlds to life. Creating lets me combine technology and creativity to build something that feels both personal and meaningful.”

“After graduation, I hope to pursue a career in animation, ideally working on animated shows or films. I’m especially interested in visual storytelling and creating environments and imagery that help bring a story to life. Long term, I want to be part of a creative team while continuing to grow my own artistic style and voice.”

The possibilities, like our vast universe, are endless.

Art & Design Faculty Pilot STEM “Big Ideas”

Art & Design, Research, Landscape Architecture, Honors & Awards, Art, Digital Art, Graphic Design, Printmaking, Faculty, Doctor of Design, ,

LSU College of Art & Design faculty researchers lead and collaborate on 4 out of the 7 “Big Ideas in STEM and Social & Behavioral Sciences” projects of selected 2026 Provost’s Fund for Innovation in Research Awards, out of 71 applicants this year.

“Congratulations to all—this may be a record achievement for the LSU College of Art & Design!” said Rod Parker, Director of the LSU School of Art.

The projects span issues from a local to global scale, addressing critical infrastructure in Louisiana with an AI-ready digital twin platform to enhancing human-robot interaction and workforce readiness in construction, to ecological and environmental resilience testing.

From Simulation to Design: AI-Enabled NNBS Workflows for Coastal and Defense Resilience

Assistant professor of landscape architecture Fabiana Trindade da Silva will complete an artificial intelligence (AI) agent designed to test ecological levees under different storm and flooding conditions. With this project, she and her team aim to learn ways that structures and landscapes can be built in an ecologically restorative way while enhancing flood and coastal resilience, resulting in concrete steps for their pilot site of LaBranche Wetlands that will benefit the environment and community. Collaborators on the project include Matthew Hiatt, associate professor of oceanography and coastal sciences, and Md Adilur Rahim, assistant professor of research at LSU AgCenter.

“The goal of this project is to develop a design-centered, interdisciplinary workflow that integrates environmental modeling, artificial intelligence, and nature-based solutions to translate complex data into actionable strategies for resilient coastal and infrastructure systems,” Dr. Silva said.

The Digital Human Initiative

Building a Next-Generation Platform for Human Performance, Health, and Immersive Simulation

The Digital Human Initiative, a platform that can scan, model and analyze the human body across a wide range of metrics to generate insights for health and athletic performance, is led by assistant professor of digital art Jessica Hogan, and digital art faculty collaborators Christine Bruening, Derick Ostrenko, and Jason Jamerson. Co-collaborators include Marc Aubanel, adjunct professor and director of digital media arts and engineering, Guillaume Spielmann, associate professor of kinesiology, Neil Johannsen, professor of kinesiology; David Shepherd, associate professor of computer science and engineering; and Tasnuva Farheen, assistant professor of computer science and engineering.

The new LSU research platform integrates human biology, athletic performance, and immersive simulation into a unified system. The proposal centers on the design and construction of a 125 camera photogrammetry scanning array capable of producing ultra-realistic digital representation of a person, one that serves as far more than a visual likeness.

At the heart of the initiative is a deceptively simple idea: that a realistic, personalized avatar can function as the user interface for a person’s complete health, wellness, and performance data. Today, the information that doctors, coaches, trainers, and researchers rely on exists in disconnected silos. Sleep data gathered by fitness wearables, MRI and DEXA scans, motion capture, gait analysis, and biomechanical performance metrics are each valuable on their own, but the relationships between them are difficult to see and nearly impossible to act on in any coordinated way. The Digital Human Initiative brings all of that data into a single, intuitive visual framework, anchored to a photorealistic digital human built in Epic’s Unreal Engine.

“Within this platform, a doctor can examine structural data from an MRI alongside recovery trends pulled from wearable sensors. A coach can correlate an athlete’s sleep patterns with their movement efficiency and performance output over time. A trainer can visualize biomechanical data in the context of an athlete’s full physical profile. A built-in AI agent system works across these data streams to identify patterns, flag anomalies, and generate predictive models for performance trajectories and injury recovery timelines,” the researchers wrote.

The project is led through LSU’s XR Studio and Visualization, Interactivity, and Simulation group, with pilot studies planned in partnership with LSU Athletics and the School of Kinesiology. The initiative positions LSU among a small number of national institutions pioneering digital human research.

Immersive Intelligent Training Framework for Human-Robot Interaction

This project addresses the growing need to prepare construction workers to collaborate with intelligent robotic systems, Jamerson said.

“This framework will use virtual reality, augmented reality and AI feedback to help construction workers learn how to work more safely, efficiently and effectively as their field increasingly incorporates robots and other forms of automation,” the researchers wrote.

The research team is developing a training framework that combines virtual reality, augmented reality, and adaptive AI feedback to create personalized, data-driven learning experiences. Participants progress through four levels of human-robot interaction, from direct robot operation to full simultaneous collaboration, while the system tracks performance metrics, gaze patterns, and movement data to assess outcomes including trust calibration and situational awareness.

School of Art faculty member and XR Studio Director Jason Jamerson serves as co-investigator, “contributing expertise in immersive environment design and cognitive-affective evaluation,” he said. He is an assistant professor of digital art specializing in virtual production and immersive media and has a join appointment in the College of Music & Dramatic Arts.

The project is led by Amirhosein Jafari, associate professor of construction management, with co-investigators including: Andrew Webb, assistant professor of computer science and engineering; Ali Kazemian, assistant professor of construction; Jennifer Qian, associate professor of learning analytics and educational technology; and Yimin Zhu, professor of construction management (College of Engineering).

“This project reflects LSU’s commitment to interdisciplinary approaches in workforce development research,” Jamerson said. Pilot testing will be conducted with undergraduate students at LSU’s BIM Cave, with findings targeted for publication and presentation at national engineering education conferences.

The goal: the integrate robotics and emerging technology for practical applications in the construction industry.

AI-Ready Digital Twin Platform for Multi-Energy Systems and Critical Infrastructure in Louisiana

The interdisciplinary project will construct a secure AI-integrated digital twin that can be used to predict future maintenance, assess risk and make informed decisions to manage Louisiana’s energy, civil and industrial infrastructure. The project is a collaboration with LSU engineering faculty and Jamerson.

“This project addresses a pressing challenge facing Louisiana and the nation: how to monitor, maintain, and protect critical infrastructure systems including bridges, levees, pipelines, refineries, and ports as they face compounding threats from aging materials, land subsidence, saltwater intrusion, and increasingly severe hurricanes. The research team is developing an AI-ready digital twin platform that integrates physics-based modeling, multimodal sensing, machine learning, and resilient IoT communications into a unified system capable of predictive maintenance, dynamic risk assessment, and real-time decision support.

The project is organized around four technical areas covering system architecture, adaptive AI and sensor fusion, resilient communications, and cybersecurity and privacy. Field validation is planned in partnership with industry collaborators including Forte and Tablada, CITGO Petroleum, and Sandia National Laboratories, ensuring that the platform is tested against real infrastructure conditions rather than purely simulated environments.

As co-investigator, Jamerson contributes expertise in human-in-the-loop system design, immersive analytics, and cognitive modeling. His role centers on developing visualization interfaces that make AI-driven decision-making legible and trustworthy to the operators who rely on these systems.

“This human-centered design dimension is a distinguishing feature of the project, reflecting a recognition that technical capability alone is insufficient without interfaces that operators can understand, trust, and act on effectively,” he said.

The project is led by associate professor of electrical and computer engineering  Xiangwei Zhou, with co-investigators Yuanhang Chen, associate professor of petroleum engineering; Chao Sun, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering; and Shuangqing Wei, professor of electrical engineering and computer science.

The project is organized around four technical areas covering system architecture, adaptive AI and sensor fusion, resilient communications, and cybersecurity and privacy. Field validation is planned in partnership with industry collaborators including Forte and Tablada, CITGO Petroleum, and Sandia National Laboratories, ensuring that the platform is tested against real infrastructure conditions rather than purely simulated environments.

The initiative is explicitly designed as a seed project targeting future large-scale federal proposals to NSF, the Department of Transportation, and NSF EPSCoR, with the goal of positioning LSU as a regional and national leader in trustworthy digital infrastructure systems.

Big Ideas in Arts & Humanities

LSU Archivist Zach Tompkins (LSU Libraries) will lead the installation of a permanent public exhibition in Hill Memorial Library to be completed at LSU’s 100th anniversary of the flagship campus in 2026. This display will showcase LSU’s key historical moments, achievements, campus culture and influence on the state of Louisiana. Collaborators on the project include Luisa Restrepo Pérez, assistant professor of art/graphic design, Andrew Shurtz, assistant professor of art/graphic design; Courtney Taylor, director of galleries (College of Art & Design); and Gina Costello, associate dean of technology and special collections at LSU Libraries.

Big Ideas for Conferences, Symposia & Seminars

Assistant professor of architecture Fabio Capra-Ribeiro organized a three-day workshop in late January 2026. The event brought together 200 architecture students to work with leading experts in architecture, engineering, coastal sciences, social sciences and the humanities to form coordinated research teams for coastal resilience planning. Collaborators on the project included Traci Birch, associate professor of architecture and managing director of the LSU Coastal Ecosystem Design Studio, and Sergio Padilla, assistant professor of practice of architecture.

Associate professor of art/printmaking Lauren Cardenas and professor of art/printmaking Leslie Koptcho will collaborate with the Mid-America Print Council to organize a three-day interdisciplinary conference on printmaking to be hosted at LSU in October 2026.  The focus of the upcoming conference will involve the role of printmaking in addressing environmental, social and technological issues. The event will be composed of exhibitions, panel discussions and gallery talks from distinguished LSU Printmaking alumni, along with a full-color catalogue showcasing LSU Printmaking and its Hatcher Hall facilities, faculty and graduates.

 

About the PFIR

The LSU Provost’s Fund for Innovation in Research has invested $1.8 million in seed funding for interdisciplinary research and creative works to solve problems and improve lives. The funded projects support the university’s commitment to Scholarship First, drive LSU’s national prominence as a top research university, and increase the competitiveness of LSU scholars in their pursuit of federal and extramural funding.

 

 

Yao Wang Awarded 2026 Lillian Bridwell-Bowles Innovative C-I Teacher Award

Art & Design, Landscape Architecture, Honors & Awards, Faculty, Doctor of Design,

Yao WangYao Wang, assistant professor of landscape architecture, was awarded the Lillian Bridwell-Bowles Innovative C-I Teacher Award. LSU’s Faculty Awards honor faculty who exemplify excellence in teaching, research, and community engagement. 

“Yao’s critical work with Louisiana stakeholders demonstrates the positive impact that landscape architecture through university engaged research can have on communities across the state,” said Brent Fortenberry, interim director of the LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture. “Dr. Wang and her students’ efforts model the capacity building potential of universities in the 21st-century.”

Wang is honored to be awarded this recognition, she said. Read more about her work with design students. “I appreciate the support of the College of Art & Design and the Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture,” she said.

Wang holds the Suzanne L. Turner Professorship at LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture. She holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science with a specialization in Policy, Planning, Communication, and Society from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF). Additionally, she has a master’s degree in urban planning and a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture. Her research encompasses climate resilience (both mitigation and adaptation), environmental planning and policy, community engagement, and sustainability.

Her research interests lie in advancing inclusive engagement strategies within climate change adaptation planning, advocating for power-sharing in the decision-making process to foster equitable procedures and outcomes. Her research background includes notable publications and presentations at both national and international conferences. Before joining LSU, Yao served as an instructor at SUNY-ESF. After obtaining her master’s degree, she gained professional experience as a landscape architect at various international urban planning and landscape design firms. 

Lillian Bridwell-Bowles Innovative C-I Teacher Award honors the late Lillian Bridwell-Bowles, LSU CxC’s founding director.

View the 2026 University Faculty Awards.