Dr. Persaud Wins NSF CAREER Award

Studying micro-earthquakes on the Gulf Coast, LSU Geology and Geophysics Assistant Professor Patricia Persaud has won a prestigious National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development award this year. The CAREER award is the NSF’s highest award given to support junior faculty with the “potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.”  The program supports the early career activities of teachers and scholars who are most likely to become the academic leaders of the future.  

Dr. Persaud does fundamental research in seismology and induced seismicity in a variety of settings and for different purposes. In her CAREER award, the focus of the project is on microseismicity in the Gulf Coast margin from wastewater injection, salt dome storage and the fault that traps most of the drinking water for the city of Baton Rouge. The project has a strong outreach program to underserved communities throughout Louisiana.  

“I’m delighted to receive this honor from the NSF” Dr. Persaud said. “The funds will enable me and my research group to make an impactful difference in the lives of a number of communities in Louisiana.”

The overall goal of the program is to understand the signals from the Earth that inform us about the effects of human activity on the subsurface that houses our energy supplies, our underground water resources and the ultimate fate of production water re-injected into deep formations.

The award, which runs over five years comes with a total of $589,134 to be used for student salaries, materials, travel, publication and indirect costs.

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Inquiries to Rachel May