On August 22, the Blanco Center held its Ribbon Cutting for our Dupré Library office. Thank you to everyone who attended this special event. Attendees at the event got a chance to see the Tribute Wall to Governor Blanco, peek into the Blanco Archives and view some of the collection, and chat with staff members about the various projects the Blanco Center does for local, state, and federal entities. We’re proud to continue the legacy of Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco. | | |
The Blanco Center marks the twentieth anniversaries of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita through a series of events called the Katrina Forward Series | |
Katrina Forward Symposium
We launched the series on August 5, with the Katrina Forward Symposium, providing four panel discussions reflecting on the massive implications of these catastrophic events and featuring state and federal policymakers discussing implications at 20 years and envisioning Louisiana’s future.
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Katrina Forward Webinars
The Katrina Forward Series featured monthly webinars focused on the radical changes to Louisiana systems of education, poverty and economic opportunity, criminal justice reform, health and healthcare, the coast and the environment, and governmental ethics. These priority areas were those that Governor Blanco felt were most affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and would continue to be challenges for the state moving forward, offering a distinct framing for reflecting on the hurricanes and their legacy.
If you missed these webinars, you can catch up on our YouTube channel.
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On October 9, the Blanco Center hosted a talk by Andy Horowitz who discussed his award-winning book,
Louisiana’s History is America’s Future: The Katrina Disaster, 1915-2025. The talk examined how Louisiana’s century of hurricanes and recoveries reveal urgent lessons for the nation’s future.
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The talk was presented by:
Center for Louisiana Studies · Guilbeau Charitable Trust
Department of History, Geography & Philosophy · Blanco Public Policy Center
Acadiana Center for the Arts · Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco/BORSF Professorship in Liberal Arts · University of Louisiana at Lafayette
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| Blanco Center Welcomes New Team Member | | Zhenghao Deng, MS: Junior Data Engineer | | |
Zhenghao Deng serves as a Junior Data Engineer with the LA FIRST team under the Information Division at the Blanco Center. In this role, he supports the design, development, and maintenance of the LA FIRST Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) for Louisiana, helping to build secure, high-quality data pipelines that inform policy and improve outcomes for Louisiana residents.
Zhenghao earned a Master's Degree in Data Analytics with a concentration in statistical modeling from Northeastern University.
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Before joining the Blanco Center, he worked as a Data Analyst and Database Administrator at Vesta Corporation for two and a half years, and later as a Data Scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School for one year.
With hands-on experience in Python, SQL, R, and, JavaScript, Zhenghao is passionate about using data to support evidence-based policymaking and contribute to making Louisiana a better place to live and work.
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On September 20, and November
1-2, Blanco Center researchers and students conducted interviews with Iberia and Vermilion Parish residents about their experiences with water hazards such as floods, hurricanes, and drainage backups. This research is part of a larger National Science Foundation project examining water hazards in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, with the Blanco Center leading community data collection across a six-university interdisciplinary team.
The main goal of the project is to document people's experiences in these areas, helping to develop better plans and processes to enable communities to adapt to flood risks and the impacts of climate-related extremes.
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The interviews gathered from the three-state area will join the Blanco Public Policy Center Archives, an extension of the Blanco Archives, contributing to the research preserved through the work of our researchers and students as part of our community-focused initiatives.
Although not accessible yet, the archives will eventually be available to community members, researchers, and students interested in exploring the region’s recent history.
Read more about the larger project here: Hydro Rise, Reversing Impacts of Hydroclimate Extremes
| | Blanco Center students and researchers set up at the Evangeline Theatre in New Iberia for the Iberia Parish History Harvest on September 20th. Other harvests were held in Vermilion Parish at the Giant Omelette Celebration, November 1st and 2nd, and Lafayette Parish at Moncus Park in April. | | |
Make It Make Cents: Critical Conversations
About Early Educator Compensation
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Stephen Barnes and Jordan Thibodeaux presented "Child Care Teacher Pay Supplements in Louisiana" at the 2025 Louisiana Early Childhood Symposium. The session included a presentation of the Blanco Center's recent study examining early educator compensation and retention, as well as a panel discussion with Barry Carter (LDOE) and Megan Garretson (Young Scholars Academy of Baton Rouge) about the ongoing support needs for Louisiana's childcare workforce.
Watch the full presentation here:
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Blanco Center Researchers present to
Ellevate’s Early Education & K-12 Committee
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This month, Ellevate's Early Education & K-12 Committee was joined by experts from the Kathleen Blanco Public Policy Center, Rachel Veron, Himani Sharma, Truc Bui, and Jordan Thibodeaux who provided an in-depth overview of LA FIRST (Louisiana Foundational Integrated Research System for Transformation), highlighting key findings from the Launch Louisiana Report and the CCAP Teacher Pay Pilot.
Watch the full presentation here:
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