💡 RAC: Advancing Research Through Strategic Expertise

The Research Advisory Committee (RAC) serves as a strategic and technical oversight body for the Windstorm Impact, Science & Engineering (WISE) Research initiative at Louisiana State University. The RAC's core function is to provide high-level, rigorous guidance and expert knowledge to drive research efforts focused on critical challenges and opportunities, emphasizing system resilience against extreme windstorm impacts.

By leveraging the diverse technical knowledge of this esteemed body, the RAC ensures that WISE research remains technically sound, economically impactful, and strategically aligned with national R1 funding priorities, major federal agencies, and Gulf Coast resilience goals.

🤝 Committee Composition

The RAC is composed of distinguished professionals and academic leadership, selected for their deep technical expertise, industry authority, and commitment to advancing resilient energy and infrastructure solutions.

 

Aly Mousaad Aly, PhD, PE (LA), M.ASCE, M.ASME 

Founder, PI, and strategic leader of the LSU WISE facility.

 

Jeff Cantin

President, Gulf States Renewable Energy Industries Association (GSREIA)

Expertise: Industry leadership and critical insight into renewable energy deployment. Collaborator on IEI funded research, leveraging LSU WISE testing to ensure industry compliance and validate findings (e.g., solar panels reduce wind uplift forces by 45–63%).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tyler Patrick Gray, J.D., M.B.A. 

Director of Energy Innovation, LSU Energy Institute

Expertise: High-level strategic expertise bridging energy policy, government relations, and industry development. Provides critical guidance on aligning the WISE initiative’s research outcomes with state-level energy policy, regulatory modernization, and the practical implementation of resilient energy solutions in Louisiana.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jack Koban, PhD, PE, PG.

Senior Director of Energy Industry Engagement, Office of Industry Engagement, LSU Foundation

Expertise: Deep technical knowledge in geotechnical engineering, coastal restoration, flood protection, and infrastructure. Serves as a critical liaison between the LSU research enterprise and external energy industry stakeholders, helping to foster collaborative research and guide the commercialization potential of WISE technologies.

 

 

Jack Clarke, M.S., P.E.

Senior Structural Engineer, Tetra Tech

Expertise: Comprehensive technical experience in all phases of renewable energy projects. Specialized knowledge in advanced structural modeling, leveraging Machine Learning (ML) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to predict aerodynamic wind loads on solar panel systems.

 

Zac Lemoine

Government Affairs, Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX)

Expertise: High-level legislative and governmental affairs engagement. Ensures research communication is timely and accurately presented to policymakers by understanding their technical knowledge gaps and strategic interests in wind and solar energy policy. Supports the "Power Up" initiative (www.cpex.org/powerup).

 

Jonathan Wiebe

Program Manager, Restoration Program, Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries

Expertise: Provides essential governmental and environmental expertise, ensuring research considerations are aligned with state-level conservation and restoration program objectives.