Corps, Nicholls geomatics ink deal

Nicholls State University and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ New Orleans District have forged an agreement whereby the federal agency will lend experience and data to the university’s renowned geomatics program.

Nicholls, in turn, will offer professional assistance in helping the corps establish a new platform to facilitate drone surveying and mapping, expert knowledge and fresh ideas.

“Partnering with local universities is an important aspect of our vision to achieve a great engineering force of highly disciplined people to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions to the nation’s engineering challenges,” said Col. Rick Hansen, commander of the New Orleans District. “The corps recognizes the regional challenges of subsidence and sea level rise, with their corresponding impact on the measurement of positions on earth and measurement of water levels.”

Hansen and Nicholls President Stephen Hulbert signed a Memorandum of Understanding last week. The agreement also focuses on advancing geospatial engineering, science and education through technology transfer, knowledge exchange, personnel development and student mentoring, according to a press release.

The corps in June hired its first Nicholls geomatics graduate, Kent Hebert. Hebert “was able to hit the ground running because of his direct experience with the survey section and vast knowledge learned at Nicholls,” said Dwayne Blanchard, chief of the corps New Orleans district’s survey section. The corps has developed an internship program with the university over the past few years, he added.

Blanchard said south Louisiana’s location and topography present unique challenges to the corps’ hurricane and storm damage protection system, “a complex structure made of earthen embankments, T-walls, flood gates, locks, and closure structures. … To monitor performance of our system, to ensure the safety of our structures, and to accurately survey the system during periodic inspections we can now collaborate with the program and Nicholls and develop better ways to refine our process or change the process because of technology advancements.”

Geomatics enrollment for Fall 2013, the first semester of the program’s 11th year, is expected to be 65 students from more than 25 Louisiana parishes, said Ram Balaji, head of Nicholls’ geomatics program.

“This is an excellent opportunity for our faculty to work on research projects specific to this region and state,” Balaji said. “In the long term, we feel this partnership will be critical in developing our master’s program in geomatics at Nicholls State University.”

He also said the agreement may help Nicholls geomatics become a feeder program for the corps’ New Orleans district.

Blanchard said the agreement would be beneficial to both parties.

“Our survey and geospatial engineering sections are able to provide a vast amount of data resources, which the university can use for peer reviewed studies, data for students to study and produce their senior projects, and a pathway for the development of young professional geomatic graduates,” he said. “The university provides the Corps expert knowledge, innovative ideas, and professional assistance with establishing our new UAV survey/mapping platform.”