8:00–8:30
Registration and Coffee
8:30–8:45
Overview: LA-NEXT and First Louisiana 2030
Dr. Michael Khonsari, Associate Commissioner for R&D, Louisiana Board of Regents
8:45–9:00
Overview: Research Capacity Building Core
Dr. Ramu Ramachandran, Interim VP for Research, Louisiana Tech University
9:00–9:45
Panel: IGNITE Principal Investigators
Dr. Fred Lacy, Chair, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Southern University A&M
9:45–10:30
Panel: A Discussion with RCU Deans
Dr. Greg Upton, Executive Director, Center for Energy Studies, LSU A&M
10:50–11:20
Overview: Shared Instrumentation Facilities
Dr. Arden Moore, Louisiana Tech University
Dr. Jonathon Raush, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
11:20–11:30
Overview: Higher Education & Career Pathways
Dr. Ben Samuel, University of New Orleans
Dr. Nicholas Bustamante, Louisiana Tech University
11:30–12:00
Panel: Bossier Parish Community College Art for Science
Dr. Nicholas Bustamante, Louisiana Tech University
1:30–3:00
3-Minute Thesis Competition
Dr. Ramu Ramachandran, Louisiana Tech University
3:00–3:30
Coffee Break (Judges confer and choose winners)
3:30–4:00
3-Minute Thesis Awards
Dr. Ramu Ramachandran, Louisiana Tech University
Agenda for Graduate Students
January 8, 2026
8:00–8:30
Registration, Coffee
9:00–10:00
Overview: LA-NEXT and First Louisiana 2030
Dr. Michael Khonsari, Associate Commissioner for R&D, Louisiana Board of Regents
8:45–10:30
Graduate Student Breakout
9:00–10:00
Communicating Science Through Art
Dr. Nicholas Bustamante, Louisiana Tech University
10:00–10:30
Conference/Professional Development Opportunities for Graduate Students
Colleen Fava, Director, Louisiana Space Grant & NASA EPSCoR, LSU A&M
10:50–12:00
Rejoin the main session
Executive Session
January 9, 2026
8:30–9:00
Registration, Coffee
9:00–10:00
Discussion and Evaluation of Feedback for LA-NEXT programs
Dr. Michael Khonsari, Associate Commissioner for R&D, Louisiana Board of Regents
10:00–10:30
Evaluation Plan and Data Collection
Shelby Hunt, Office of Educational Innovation and Evaluation, Kansas State University
10:30–11:30
Community College Listening Session
Amy Cable, Chief Student Affairs Officer, Louisiana Community and Technical College System
11:30–12:00
Annual Report
12:00-12:30
Network of Networks Meeting
