ConocoPhillips has contributed $150,000 to the Coastal Center at Nicholls State University for its exhibit space. This space will house educational exhibits focused on coastal and climate challenges together with coastal solutions and success stories to provide critical learning opportunities for students, adults and tourists visiting the Coastal Center.
Laci Melancon, director of the Coastal Center at Nicholls State University, said, “Industry partnerships are critical in the advancement of the Coastal Center. This contribution by ConocoPhillips shows their commitment to the educational and outreach component of the Coastal Center exhibit space which is integral to engage our community and future students on the coastal crisis we face in south Louisiana.”
Ashley Golmon, ConocoPhillips Coastal Wetlands contracts specialist, said, “ConocoPhillips is proud to make this donation to the Coastal Center and Nicholls State University. For many years, we have been a supporter of Nicholls and its efforts to become the center for coastal restoration research in Louisiana. We contributed to Nicholls Farm in previous years and are excited to now have this opportunity with the Coastal Center. Most of all, we look forward to a continued partnership with Nicholls.”
The Coastal Center at Nicholls State University is a $21 million project under construction on campus at the corner of Colonel Drive and Ardoyne Drive, across from Calecas Hall. The center’s collaborative space will allow scientists from all over the state and beyond, including those from Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, the Water Institute of the Gulf and Nicholls biological sciences and geomatics departments, to collaborate and advance research to repair and rebuild the state’s receding coastline.
The Coastal Center will also work directly with the Bayou Region Incubator to help create jobs and small businesses focused on needs of bayou communities, using both the Center’s facilities and the University Farm to test the real-world applications of coastal research. Further, through a partnership with Balanced Media Technology, Ltd., the Coastal Center will help coastal researchers utilize a patented, advanced data infrastructure to solve some of our most pressing coastal problems. These opportunities will allow inventors, developers and scientists from all over the state and beyond to collaborate and advance research to repair and rebuild the state’s receding coastline.
No single institute is going to solve all of the state’s coastal issues. The Coastal Center at Nicholls State University is designed to foster collaboration among various stakeholders in facilitating an environment that promotes partnerships to restore and preserve our coast. To learn more, visit www.nicholls.edu/coastal-center/.
The Nicholls Foundation, an independent 501(c)3 corporation, exists to support the mission of Nicholls State University by seeking gifts and grants and by managing those funds and other assets to support Nicholls through endowed chairs, professorships, scholarships and other enhancement efforts. To learn more about donating to Nicholls, visit nichollsfoundation.org.
ConocoPhillips, through its subsidiary The Louisiana Land and Exploration Company LLC (LL&E), is the largest private wetlands owner in Louisiana. For decades, the company has practiced responsible stewardship of its coastal wetlands and has collaborated with public and nonprofit entities on projects designed to protect and restore Louisiana’s coast. Together with its partners, ConocoPhillips has advanced innovative solutions to coastal restoration that enhance habitats, support levee systems and protect communities.