Wm. Clifford Smith School of Engineering
The Wm. Clifford Smith School of Engineering will serve as an administrative unit for academic activities related to engineering at Nicholls State University. These activities include programs of study, research and development, workforce development and service to the Bayou Region and Louisiana Gulf Coast. The School will consolidate current and future engineering assets at Nicholls and focus on continuous development of locally-trained engineers for industries across the Nicholls service region and beyond.
OUR PROGRAMS
ENGINEERING
- Through an agreement with UNO, Nicholls will deliver engineering coursework, manage laboratory offerings and advise cross-enrolled students to complete their engineering studies.
GEOMATICS
- Nicholls is the only Louisiana university with a four-year geomatics program fully accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) and has one of the leading drone research programs in the state.
- This program provides its graduates with a high-quality surveying and mapping education, the core of what is needed to rebuild Louisiana’ Coastal Communities, including courses for the Professional Land Surveyor Certification.
PRE-ENGINEERING
- A two-year curriculum for students who plan to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering at another institution but prefer one-on-one attention from instructors. The typical pre-engineering curriculum will vary according to the institution that the student plans to attend and the engineering field selected.
- Through an agreement with UNO, Nicholls students can transfer seamlessly as juniors, with 67 credit hours, into the B.S. in Civil Engineering or any other undergraduate engineering program at UNO. Students may also transfer at any time.
- While students spend the majority of their two years completing general education requirements, such as English and mathematics, most also take beginning engineering science courses in engineering graphics, computer-aided drawing and surveying graphics offered through the Wm. Clifford Smith School of Engineering.
ENERGY ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY
- Nicholls will develop its new engineering technology curriculum focused on serving the needs of new energy generation and delivery in south Louisiana and, in the process, support dislocated, incumbent and new workers emerging from the oilfield downturn, Hurricane Ida and the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The program focuses on preparing students for the emerging renewable energy industry in Louisiana. Energy and engineering industry advisors to Nicholls have indicated the type of graduate produced by this type of program will be the most employable in the future.
- Not only will graduates facilitate electrical and mechanical engineering projects, but they will also manage construction projects, coordinate building and maintenance operations and conduct inspections through a variety of methods including unmanned aerial vehicles.
- Petroleum engineering technology will be an integral component of the program, along with potential research and development and workforce initiatives generated by Nicholls partnership in the F.U.E.L. consortium.
COASTAL/ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
- The Coastal Center at Nicholls State University is a research and education center under development that will be focused on science and engineering solutions to coastal and estuarine problems. It is slated to become a leading research facility, supporting a “working coast” in the fight against coastal land loss.
- Utilizing BALANCED Media | Technology’s HEWMEN® platform of innovative technology solutions with Nicholls State University’s cutting-edge research will create opportunities benefitting the Gulf Coast region environmentally and economically. The Data Refinery is essentially a supercomputer designed to take data from multiple/disparate sources, clean it and put it into a usable format to help organizations solve specific problems, and in Louisiana’s case, problems/issues associated with the gulf coast.
- Nicholls will develop this program to address the increasing need for engineers who are trained in engineering principles related to the coastal environment and consider environmental and ecological issues during resilience planning.
Wm. Clifford Smith was long-time owner of the consulting firm T. Baker Smith and Sons. Founded in 1913, the company has grown from a one-man shop in Houma, Louisiana, to a firm of over 280 associates that provides integrated engineering, environmental and surveying services from locations across the Gulf Coast Region.
Born on April 21, 1935, in New Orleans, Smith earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Louisiana State University in 1958. Beginning in 1962, Wm. Clifford Smith succeeded his father as president and sole owner of the firm. After retiring as president and owner, Smith remained chairman of the board (emeritus) for the remainder of his life. With an endless knowledge of Louisiana’s history and natural resources, Smith’s professional career began focusing on developing coastal Louisiana. He was ahead of his time in focusing on coastal erosion. He would speak to anyone who would listen on this topic, including Congress, where he testified in 2004. Presidents Clinton and Bush nominated Clifford as Presidential Appointee to the Mississippi River Commission, where he helped shape national flood control, navigation and environmental policy and projects.
Clifford’s commitment to public service is reflected in memberships in multiple civic organizations, including the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce, Terrebonne Historical and Cultural Society, Louisiana Board of Regents and St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church Building Committee, as well as multiple business organizations, including serving on the Board of Directors of Entergy Corporation, Chairman of American Bank & Trust Co. and as a member Community Homestead.
His wife is the former Jo-Anne Toups from Schriever, Louisiana, and they have seven children. The Smith family has a long legacy of giving back to the community, including Nicholls, where their support has provided internship and employment opportunities as well as service on advisory boards that support and advance academic and professional experiences of university students.
