2025 LaSPACE Fall Council Meeting Agenda

Annual Meeting of the NASA Space Grant & NASA EPSCoR Programs in Louisiana
Friday, November 7, 2025 and Saturday, November 8, 2025

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2025
Louisiana State University, Student Union 3rd Floor – Magnolia Room, Baton Rouge, LA
8:00 AM Check-In Desk Opens
Formal Session opens at 9:00 AM
9:15 AMMeeting Call to Order: LaSPACE Welcome & Review of the AgendaColleen H. FavaLaSPACE/LSU
9:20 AMIn Memoriam: John P Wefel (1944-2025) & T. Gregory Guzik (1952-2025)All AttendeesAll Attendees
9:50 AMGroup ActivityAll AttendeesAll Attendees
Building the Network: LASPACE Updates and Partner Programs
10:15 AMLaSPACE: Programmatic UpdatesColleen H. FavaLaSPACE / LSU
10:45 AMLouisiana Undergraduate Research Association (LaURA)CHF for Sarah FerstelLaURA / LSU
11:00 AMLA Sea Grant Collaborations and OpportunitiesMatt BethelSea Grant / LSU
11:15 AMLED FastStart & Higher EducationJustin DeddenLED
11:30 AMLA-NEXT (NSF E-CORE Grant Program)Michael KhonsariLA BoR / LSU
12:00 PMLSU Campus WelcomeRobert TwilleyLSU VPR
LUNCH
Faculty Research Showcase
1:20 PMThe Future of Space Solar Power (REA + LURA)Matt EscarraTulane
1:45PM Space-Based Energy Resilience Changing Lives and Labs (REA+)Farzad FerdowsiULL
2:10 PMEstimating photosynthetic capacity using reflectance spectra and machine learning (RAP + REA)Peng FuLSU Ag
BREAK
3:00 PMSocio-Environmental Data Analytics for Sustainable Communities (NASA EPSCoR R3)Hadi SalehiLaTech
3:25 PMMulti-Material Composite Structures for Space Applications (NASA EPSCoR Basic Research)Genevieve PalardyLSU
Space Grant/EPSCoR Futurecasting
4:00 PMLaSPACE Landscape: Federal and State Funding & Management ForecastColleen H. FavaLaSPACE/LSU
4:30 PMGroup ActivityAll AttendeesAll Attendees
5:00 PMClosing Discussion / AdjournColleen H. FavaLaSPACE / LSU
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2025
Louisiana State University, Student Union 3rd Floor – Magnolia Room, Baton Rouge, LA
08:00 AM Check-In Desk Opens
Formal Meeting Session Opens at 9:00 AM
9:15 AMWelcome Day 2 / Group ActivityColleen H. FavaLaSPACE/LSU
Student Opportunities
9:30 AMSea Grant SciComm / Other student opportunitiesVanessa van HeerdenLA Sea Grant
9:50 AMHigh Altitude Student Platform (HASP) Program OverviewDoug GrangerLaSPACE/LSU
10:10 AMCurrent & Pending LaSPACE Student OpportunitiesColleen H. FavaLaSPACE/LSU
10:40 AM – 10:55 AM BREAK
LaSPACE Student Showcase: Graduate Students
11:00 AMGraph-Theoretic Analysis of Interaction Networks for Enhancing Group Effectiveness (GSRA)Nicole BiggsLaTech
11:20 AMDecoding and Targeting “Space Fog” (GSRA)Katelyn LoftonLSUHS-S
11:40 AMJoining & Repair of Dissimilar Thermoplastic Composites via Ultrasonic Welding (NASA EPSCoR BR)Emily FriedmanLSU
LaSPACE Student Showcase: Undergraduate Students
12:00 PMStak’em® – A Rocket Science Educational Kit for K-12 and Beyond (LURA)Susannah DonoghueULL
12:20 PMValidating the Wayfinder System for the InterPlanetary Network (LURA)Emily ReillyLSU
12:40 PMLaSPACE Student Flight Trajectory (RockOn!, LaACES, HASP, RockSat-C)Abigail PeckLSU
1:00 PMLunch & Student Poster Session IntroColleen H. FavaLaSPACE/LSU
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM LUNCH & STUDENT POSTER SESSIONS
1:00 PM Closing Remarks / AdjournColleen H. FavaLaSPACE/LSU