LSU Office of Data and Strategic Analytics Announces 2023-2024 Faculty Fellows

BATON ROUGE – The LSU Office of Data and Strategic Analytics is proud to announce the 2023-2024 Faculty Fellows. Each of the Faculty Fellows specializes in Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI). This team will help bolster the efforts of the newly established Office of Data and Strategic Analytics.

The Faculty Fellows will have the opportunity to help promote and support the strategic direction of the university, shape policy decisions and contribute to LSU’s mission of fostering excellence in education, research and public service.

The process of selecting the Faculty Fellows is rigorous to ensure the projects proposed by these members align well with the university’s broader objectives.

List of Faculty Fellows and Their Respective Colleges:

1. Michael Brylinski; College of Science
2. Jennifer Qian; College of Human Sciences and Education
3. Supratik Mukhopadhyay; College of Coast and the Environment
4. Athanasios Gentimis; College of Agriculture
5. David Saccardi; College of Music and Dramatic Arts
6. Yimin Zhu; College of Engineering
7. April (Yu) Chen; College of Human Sciences and Education
8. Mostafa Elseifi; College of Engineering
9. Roberto Fritsche-Neto; College of Agriculture

The Faculty Fellows will collaborate with Chief Data Officer and Vice President Keena Arbuthnot and the Office of Data and Strategic Analytics team to employ cutting-edge data analytics and AI technology methods to optimize accuracy, efficiency and effectiveness of university decision making processes.

“These fellows will contribute significantly by leveraging AI and Data Analytics across various domains within the university,” said Vice President and Chief Data Officer Keena Arbuthnot. “Their work will undoubtedly add value to the academic and operational facets of our institution.”

Key responsibilities of the Faculty Fellows include:

• Applying data analytics, AI and machine learning techniques to analyze complex datasets, pinpoint patterns, and generate actionable insights for strategic decision-making.
• Collaborating with diverse teams across the university to identify opportunities for applications.
• Promoting the sharing of knowledge and best practices associated with data analytics and AI.
• Aiding in fostering a culture of data-informed decision-making within the university.

Fellows will be appointed for one calendar year. Each fellow will lead or be part of a team that works on projects that use their expertise to tackle a problem or issue in higher education. Fellows will regularly meet with other fellows and the DSA team to discuss and collaborate on these projects. At the end of their fellowship, fellows are expected to present their research findings at a university-wide symposium sponsored by the Office of Data and Strategic Analytics.

Each fellow will receive an award that can be allocated towards any state-approved expense such as summer salary, course release, business-related travel expenses, books, scholarly materials, research equipment, or supplies.