The Mechanical Engineering (ME) Seminar Series has informally existed for over thirty years since the time when Dr. Thomas W. Lester was ME Department Chair. It was formally established as a regularly occurring event in 1995 by Dr. Effie Gutmark, then Chair of the ME Department. Since 2011 it has been sponsored and sustained by ME Alumnus Mr. Sidney “Sid” E. Fuchs being re-named to “The Sidney E. Fuchs Seminar Series” at that time. Mr. Fuchs, an alumnus of the ME undergraduate and graduate programs, is a Member and Chair Emeritus of the MIE Board of Advisors and ME Industry Advisory Council, and an Executive in Residence in the MIE Department and College of Engineering.
In 2019, Mr. Fuchs graciously decided to dedicate this seminar series to his former graduate adviser and mentor, Dr. Robert “Bob” W. Courter, to honor him for his life-long mentorship of students and his significant contributions to the LSU Mechanical Engineering Program and the profession. Thus, the seminar series was renamed to “The Dr. Robert W. Courter Seminar Series”.
The series brings a broad variety of distinguished speakers from academe, government and industry to the Department for the benefit of the students and the faculty.