NEWS

Louisiana Tech University’s world-renowned Trenchless Technology Center (TTC) recently welcomed its Industry Advisory Board (IAB) to campus for meetings with TTC faculty, staff, and students.
The IAB is composed of representatives from internationally renowned companies within the trenchless technology field and provides valuable guidance to the Trenchless Technology Center. The 2017 meeting continues a tradition of more than 25 years in which the board has convened at Tech to receive updates on the TTC’s activities and planned initiatives, to provide TTC leaders and researchers with valuable insight into the needs and advances of the trenchless industry, and to discuss financing opportunities.
TTC leaders, faculty, and staff report their current and planned activities, including research and technology transfer activities. The IAB then provides feedback on what they perceive as the growing areas of research within the field and where the TTC should focus technology transfer activities, such as municipal forums. This valuable feedback helps the Center maintain its cutting-edge leadership in underground construction.
“We received extremely positive feedback from the board,” John Matthews, director of the TTC and associate professor of civil engineering and construction engineering technology, said. “They seemed excited with the direction that the TTC is taking, specifically in regard to our municipal forums and our student engagement, and were very impressed with the facilities.”
This year, the IAB heard from several students, including senior students in the construction engineering technology program, members of the Louisiana Tech chapter of the North American Society for Trenchless Technology and graduate students, who made presentations and discussed their experiences with the Center. After learning more about the student research going on throughout the Center, the board discussed opportunities to become involved with current research and to recruit TTC graduates to their firms.
Engineer Lynn E. Osborn, technical director of the National Association of Sewer Service Companies and owner of LEO Consulting, LLC, an engineering consulting firm that specializes in the trenchless rehabilitation of pipelines, said he enjoys the annual meetings.
“The weather is typically good, and having the chance to visit with the students and discuss their involvement in research activities is always fun,” Osborn said. “The research arm of TTC seems to be buzzing with activity. And, according to John Matthews, we can expect to see even more research growth over the next year.”
“I was pleased with the level of interest expressed by our IAB on TTC’s commitment to our international operations and specialty schools,” said Tech’s Tom Iseley, international program director for the TTC. “Their commitment to the mission of TTC is recognized by their willingness to come to our campus year after year to participate in our IAB meetings.”
– Brandy McKnight, communications coordinator, College of Engineering and Science, 318-257-2072, McKnight@LATech.edu