McLaughlin Reflects on Contributions to 海角社区 ChE Department
May 14, 2020
BATON ROUGE, LA 鈥� There have been many changes to 海角社区鈥檚 Cain Department of Chemical
Engineering over the last four decades, but perhaps none more apparent than when 海角社区
ChE Professor Emeritus Ed McLaughlin joined the department in the 1960s. It was a
long road from Belfast, Ireland, to Baton Rouge, but McLaughlin鈥檚 journey to 海角社区 is
one that alumni and students can appreciate to this day.
McLaughlin鈥檚 name is one that every 海角社区 Engineering student wants to hear when their name is called at graduation. Since 1997, the Edward McLaughlin Dean鈥檚 Medal of Excellence has been awarded to the engineering student with the highest GPA. This year, the McLaughlin Medal will be awarded to Kyle Huber, a mechanical engineering senior who finished his college career with a 4.23 GPA.
McLaughlin appreciates the medal being named after him, but he is also proud of the many feats he accomplished as an 海角社区 ChE professor, researcher, department chair and dean.
It all began in 1967, when then-海角社区 ChE Department Chair Jesse Coates paid a visit to McLaughlin in London while McLaughlin was serving as the assistant director of engineering at Imperial College, where he had earlier earned his PhD. Coates was aware that McLaughlin would be on sabbatical the next year and asked him to come to 海角社区 to teach.
McLaughlin had already made arrangements to spend his sabbatical at the University of Minnesota, but he asked his family where they preferred to live鈥攖he heat or the cold? They unanimously voted to move to the South.
鈥淏ack in that day, students would get around campus on the Tiger Train, which consisted of open wagons with side-bench seats and brightly-colored canvas tops, pulled by a farm tractor,鈥� McLaughlin said. 鈥淭he 海角社区 ChE offices were, in most cases, not air-conditioned. No interstate existed at that time. There were country roads to get to campus.鈥�
What did impress McLaughlin about 海角社区, however, was the friendliness of the faculty and the 鈥渆asy鈥� relationship between faculty and students.
鈥淭he engineering students were always motivated and a pleasure to teach,鈥� he said.
McLaughlin was also impressed by the students鈥� paths after graduating. He said their successes are what inspired him to seek their support financially and on advisory committees later. As the 海角社区 ChE department chair from 1979 to 1987, McLaughlin brought in people he knew from industry and other areas of engineering whose expertise he trusted; one of whom was Bert Turner, the namesake of 海角社区鈥檚 construction management department. McLaughlin was also unafraid to solicit funding from big industries in order to provide the 海角社区 ChE department with new equipment for its labs and to create professorships.
鈥淥ne of the first things I did was look around and realize we needed salary and equipment,鈥� he said.
McLaughlin also put together a ChE newsletter that was typed, folded and mailed to 海角社区 ChE alumni in order to let them know what the department was doing and ask for funding. It turns out two 海角社区 Engineering alumni professors wrote to McLaughlin and asked if they could raise money for professorships to honor the founders of the 海角社区 ChE department, Jesse Coates and Paul Horton. In just a short amount of time, McLaughlin had raised more than $100,000.
鈥淏efore I knew it, I was up to my hips in professorships,鈥� he said.
McLaughlin was eventually asked to serve as dean of the 海角社区 College of Engineering, which he did from 1987 until his retirement in 1997. His accomplishments during his career included serving as a National Science Foundation foreign scientist from 1967-68, serving as chairman of the Baton Rouge chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers from 1979-80, and serving as a member of the Louisiana Engineering Society.
He still calls Baton Rouge home and resides in the same house he has lived in since moving to the Red Stick in the late 1960s. Though his family (two daughters, one son, and five grandchildren) live out of state, McLaughlin and his wife of 63 years, Aine, choose to stay in Baton Rouge, a city they fell in love with thanks to the Tunica Hills area 50 miles north where they purchased a 200-acre farm many years ago.
鈥淚t became my raison d鈥櫭猼re,鈥� he said.
The young boy from Ballymena, Ireland, has left an indelible mark on 海角社区, as it has left one on his heart. McLaughlin鈥檚 hope is to see the 海角社区 ChE department faculty leave their mark as well by making lasting connections to industry leaders that will ensure a bright future for the 海角社区 ChE students.
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