NEWS

Dr. Hadi Salehi, assistant professor in the Departments of Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering Technology, and the Institute for Micromanufacturing at Louisiana Tech University, has been awarded a $200,000 grant from the National Science Foundation through the Engineering Research Initiation program. This two-year award will support Salehi’s research in advanced manufacturing and enhance the University’s engineering research infrastructure.

Salehi’s research interests focus on resilient and sustainable infrastructure systems, energy harvesting, advanced sensing systems, data analytics, and smart cities. The overarching goal of his research is to develop systems capable of delivering long-term autonomous monitoring data and mitigating the impacts of hazards on built environments. The funding will enable the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment, foster interdisciplinary collaborations, and provide new training opportunities for students.

The Engineering Research Initiation program supports early-career engineering faculty at institutions that are not among the nation’s most research-intensive universities. The initiative helps new investigators launch impactful research programs and enhances the training of the next generation of engineers.

“This prestigious National Science Foundation award reflects Dr. Salehi’s innovative research and the ongoing efforts to build a stronger research and educational environment at Louisiana Tech,” said Dr. Collin Wick, dean of the College of Engineering and Science. “We are proud of Dr. Salehi’s work, which exemplifies our commitment to fostering transformative research and preparing graduates to address real-world challenges through innovative engineering and science solutions.”

By supporting early-career faculty like Salehi, the NSF ERI program seeks to broaden the national engineering research community and expand research capacity at institutions like Louisiana Tech.