Excellence. Pride. Tradition.

On September 19, 2026, the College of Sciences and Engineering marked a significant milestone with its inaugural STEM Game Day STEM Fest, establishing a new platform for early STEM engagement and community outreach. Designed for K–12 students, the event featured more than 25 interactive activities, including digital gaming and hands-on STEM experiences that introduced participants to future academic and career pathways. Led by Dean Lealon Martin, the inaugural event reflects the College’s commitment to advancing STEM education and career pathways, expanding access and exposure, and creating a foundation for sustained engagement with the next generation of scientists, engineers, innovators, and problem-solvers.

Southern University’s EDGE - Esports Digital Gaming Ecosystem - housed within the College of Sciences and Engineering, continues to elevate competitive gaming, student engagement, and digital innovation. Led by Director and Head Coach Christopher Turner, the varsity esports program achieved a historic milestone as junior Coby Robinson captured the ECAC EA Sports College Football 26 Division II National Championship. Supported by an elite varsity roster, EDGE is strengthening Southern University’s presence in collegiate esports while creating opportunities for students to develop competitive, technical, and leadership skills within the rapidly expanding digital gaming industry.

The College of Sciences and Engineering’s Inaugural STEM Game Day on September 19, 2026, underscored the strategic value of sustained alumni and corporate engagement in advancing student success and workforce development. Alumni participation reinforced the importance of mentorship, access, and professional exposure, while corporate check presentations from Boeing and Chevron demonstrated tangible industry investment in the College’s mission. Together, these commitments strengthen the pathways from education to opportunity, expand resources available to students, and position the College to deepen partnerships that support talent development, institutional growth, and long-term impact.

The Leroy C. Roquemore Symposium sponsored by the Department of Computer Science demonstrated the enduring impact of alumni engagement by reconnecting accomplished graduates with Southern University’s next generation of STEM leaders. A distinguished Class of 1990 alumnus and technology executive, Mr. Tony Moore, returned to deliver the keynote on Human–AI Interactions: Challenges and Opportunities for the 23rd Century, challenging students to shape the future of artificial intelligence through trust, equity, agency, and responsible innovation. His return exemplified the power of alumni to honor the faculty and experiences that shaped their careers while providing students with mentorship, perspective, and inspiration to become architects of emerging technologies.

Scholar Aniya Stewart represented the College of Sciences and Engineering at the NOBCChE 2026 Annual Conference, held September 21–24, 2026, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Stewart earned an Advancing Science Conference Grant supporting her participation and presented her research during the NOBCChE ConneXions Poster Session. Her achievement reflects the College’s commitment to undergraduate research, professional development, and preparing students to engage within national scientific communities. Scholar Stewart’s research was supported by the Dow Scholars Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program.

The College congratulates Scholar Stewart on this distinguished accomplishment and her exemplary representation of Southern University.

Competing in DevDays for the first time, Southern University students Jha'Hannah Pink, Thomas Reid, and Jalayah Jones won first place in the DevDays Cancer Care and Prevention Challenge, a partnership between Nexus Louisiana and Ochsner Health that asked Louisiana college students to build technology to improve the cancer care experience for patients, caregivers, and healthcare teams. The team earned $6,000 for the win and automatically advances to the Nexus Technology Cup in December.

Their winning platform, Tomorrow, helps patients protect their emotional well-being and sense of identity during treatment. Patients track emotional wellness with hopeScore, receive encouraging reminders through tomorrowSpark, and access an appointment calendar, AI-powered guidance, Living Proof survivor stories, wellness resources, and a Legacy Vault for saving memories and life stories. "Tomorrow is about giving patients a reason to look forward to tomorrow," said Pink, an agribusiness major who lost her uncle to cancer and made him the motivation behind the project.

Out of about 50 applicants from nine colleges and universities, ten finalist teams presented their prototypes on September 25 at Nexus Louisiana's Baton Rouge headquarters to a panel of healthcare, technology, and business leaders, competing for a share of $10,000 in cash prizes. The team now plans to work toward bringing Tomorrow to market.

Dr. Yasser Ismail achieved a significant professional milestone on September 16, 2026, graduating from the Strategic Data Project (SDP) Minority Serving Institutions Fellowship through the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University. Completed over approximately 18 months, the fellowship provided intensive professional development in strategic data analysis, evidence-based decision-making, leadership and change management, and the effective use of institutional data to advance student success. Dr. Ismail’s participation strengthens Southern University’s capacity to leverage data strategically to inform institutional priorities, improve outcomes, and support continuous improvement. He expressed appreciation for the encouragement and support received throughout the fellowship from Southern University administration and colleagues. Congratulations to Dr. Ismail on this distinguished accomplishment and his continued commitment to institutional excellence and student success.

October 13 – 16, 2026, Southern University and A&M College will make history as the first HBCU to host the Campus Alliance for Advanced Visualization Conference (CAAVCon) and the organization’s only HBCU member. The 10th Annual CAAVCon will convene leading R1 universities, K–12 partners, industry representatives, elected officials, and state leaders to advance collaboration in immersive visualization and emerging technologies. The conference will showcase the College of Sciences and Engineering’s nationally competitive visualization and manufacturing capabilities, including Southern’s top-tier CAVE immersive visualization system. This achievement was driven by the VR Jags Student Organization, with post-graduate Jahnavi Balaji authoring the successful proposal selected by the CAAV Board. Hosting CAAVCon positions Southern University as a national destination for advanced visualization while demonstrating the power of student leadership, innovation, and institutional investment in emerging technology. For more information visit the CAAV Annual Conference website, https://thecaav.org/.