LSU is the flagship institution of Louisiana and is one of only 30 universities nationwide holding land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant status.

Since 1860, LSU has served its region, the nation, and the world through extensive, multipurpose programs encompassing instruction, research, and public service. The university brings in more than $150 million annually in outside research grants and contracts, a significant factor for the Louisiana economy.

Louisiana State University

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Incorporating Uncertainty in a Wetland Soil Accretion Model (NUMAN 2.0) to Test Generality Across Coastal Environmental Settings of South Florida

Patterns and mechanisms of wetland change in the Breton sound estuary, Mississippi River delta: A review

Patterns of marsh surface accretion rates along salinity and hydroperiod gradients between active and inactive coastal deltaic floodplains

Hurricane Effects on Benthic Nitrogen Cycling in an Emerging Coastal Deltaic Floodplain Within the Mississippi River Delta Plain

Net evaporation-induced mangrove area loss across low-lying Caribbean islands

Co-evolution of wetland landscapes, flooding, and human settlement in the Mississippi River Delta Plain

Coastal Wetland & Deltaic Ecosystem Ecology

Dr. Robert Twilley is LSU Vice President of Research and Economic Development, the founder and former director of the LSU Coastal Sustainability Studio (now the LSU Coastal Ecosystem Design Studio), and has been a professor in the Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences for two decades. He also served as the Vice President for Research at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and as Executive Director of Louisiana Sea Grant. He is an accomplished and experienced researcher, having brought in more than $25M in grants and producing over 200 publications. Twilley holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in biology from East Carolina University, a Ph.D. in systems ecology from the University of Florida, and conducted his post-doctoral studies in coastal oceanography at the University of Maryland. He has received numerous awards for his teaching and research, has published extensively on wetland ecology and global climate change, and has been involved in developing ecosystem models coupled with engineering designs to develop coastal and wetland ecosystem restoration projects.

Ecosystem Modeling

Wetland Ecology

Coastal and Wetland Ecosystem Restoration

Coastal Oceanography

Global Climate Change

LSU Faculty Profile

LSU Coastal Ecosystem Design Studio Profile

Google Scholar Citations

Louisiana universities could lose tens of millions if federal research cuts go into effect

LSU’s new energy institute faces global challenges, local skepticism

How LSU contributes to economic prosperity

Opinion | Why protecting 'blue carbon' storage is crucial to fighting climate change

lsu-launches-louisianas-most-advanced-microscope-at-research-core-facility

LSU Vice President of Research and Economic Development

LSU’s Advanced Microscopy and Analytical Core (AMAC) facility gives Louisiana researchers access to 16 state-of-the-art instruments, including a new Spectra 300 Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (S/TEM) for atomic-scale imaging and analysis.

The new microscope—the most advanced in Louisiana—was installed with $10 million in support from the U.S. Army. Standing almost 13 feet tall on a platform isolated from vibration, the S/TEM required major renovations, including a raised ceiling, acoustic wall panels, and a magnetic field cancellation system to ensure the instrument’s stability and performance. The microscope offers magnification up to 10 million times, powerful enough to enlarge a single grain of Mississippi River silt to the size of Tiger Stadium.

“This is a transformational moment for LSU and for the future of research in Louisiana,” Interim LSU President Matt Lee said. “With the installation of the most advanced microscope in the state, LSU is once again demonstrating how we’re delivering on our promises—leading in research, innovation, and service to the state and nation.”

The launch of the AMAC and S/TEM demonstrates LSU’s increased investment in providing its faculty and partners with the best possible equipment for research and discovery, including for national defense, energy, and health.

“Winning in research is no different than winning in athletics—the best facilities attract the best talent, and you need the best of both to win,” LSU Vice President of Research and Economic Development Robert Twilley said. “Today’s launch is about a state-of-the-art microscope but also the launch of the AMAC as our first research core facility at LSU—the first of more to come to attract, train, and supply the best research talent for Louisiana and build research teams that win.”

Using a finely focused electron beam and techniques such as energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), the S/TEM can reveal both structure and chemistry at atomic resolution. These capabilities drive advances in materials science—improving semiconductors, solar cells, batteries, catalysts, coatings, and alloys—while supporting biomedical research by mapping drug delivery, uncovering the structures of viruses and bacteria, and improving medical implant design.

LSU’s AMAC research core facility was recently rebranded, changing its name from the Shared Instruments Facility (SIF).

Learn more about how AMAC instruments help unlock millions in federal research funding to Louisiana and deliver solutions. 

LSU Launches Louisiana’s Most Advanced Microscope at Research Core Facility

Dr. Robert Twilley, LSU Vice President of Research & Economic Development, spoke at the Baton Rouge Rotary Club about the Future Use of Energy in Louisiana (FUEL) team. This team, led by LSU, was recently awarded funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), totaling up to $160 million over 10 years.

Dr. Robert Twilley |  Winning the National Championship in Energy Research | 05/22/24 | Newsmakers

Robert Twilley, director of the LSU Sea Grant program, explains how new adaptive management groups will identify ways to assist oyster, shrimp, finfish and crab fishers affected by coastal Master Plan hurricane protection and coastal restoration projects

LSU Sea Grant director Robert Twilley on state fishery adaptive management groups

Biogeochemical Patterns During Ecological Succession of Coastal Deltaic Floodplains - Robert Twilley, Vice President of Research, Louisiana State University.
 
Validation of hydrodynamic models: NASA’s Delta-X airborne mission in coastal Louisiana going global with SWOT and NISAR - Marc Simard, Senior Research Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

October 24, 2024

Learn more: https://www.us-ocb.org/leaky-deltas-workshop-2025/

Leaky Deltas webinar with Robert Twilley and Marc Simard

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