LSU strikes gold—twice

The Producer

His name is Bhaba Sarker, but you can call him The Producer.

He works in a tiny, packed, carefully organized office in LSU’s College of Engineering.

When he’s not in class teaching the next generation of engineers, he’s studying and publishing papers about production and operation management.

LSU administrators had high expectations of him when they named him the Elton G. Yates Distinguished Professor of Construction Management and Industrial Engineering.

Sarker has, in a perfectly clear and measurable way, delivered.

He is among the world’s 20 most productive research scientists in his field over the past 50 years, according to a recent article in—what else?—an academic journal called International Journal of Production Economics. Over the past decade, only 5 academics in his field have produced more.

Among the prestigious names at the top of the journal’s list—including MIT, Georgia Tech and Columbia University—is LSU.

Sarker doesn’t come off as a man seeking attention, and in fact he says his East Indian culture instructs him to seek to be humble, circumspect.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Sarker said recently.

Being the academic that he is, he didn’t believe it until he read the article himself. “I never realized I ranked so highly,” he said.

He probably should have suspected it, though.

Sarker has published papers in a dizzying list of technical journals: Computers & Industrial Engeering, Computers & Operations Research, European Journal of Operational Research, IIE Transactions, International Journal of Production Research, and of course, the very journal that recognized him for being so prolific.

There’s no secret to his success, though.

He loves his work. A major part of his job is meeting with students, who pop into his cramped office all day—which is all good, but it does distract him from his research.

So he carves out time for writing in the evenings, at home where it’s quiet and—you guessed it—he can get more work done.—TOM GUARISCO

The O’Riley factor

Popular NPR host at home at LSU

Celebrated by music fans for spectacular piano arrangements of popular songs by Radiohead, Elliott Smith and Nick Drake and faithful versions of classical pieces, world-renowned performer Christopher O’Riley has been named the first Distinguished Visiting Artist for the LSU College of Music and Dramatic Arts. He’ll work periodically at LSU through 2013.

Beginning this fall, O’Riley will make four annual trips to Baton Rouge for collaborations with LSU faculty and students, concert performances and music education events. He will also host live episodes of NPR series From The Top, which will be taped at LSU and in other Louisiana locations.

“The show started out focusing on classical music, but ended up all about hope and the future of youth in America,” says the piano wizard, who prefers playing with musicians under the age of 18. “I’m a great believer in kids as the essence of what makes music, literature and sports great, because they have that sort of internal inspiration. Playing with the LSU faculty may be difficult. They might put me in time-out during rehearsals or something.”

O’Riley says this type of partnership was one he had in mind for years, but didn’t think he could approach a university with. Fortunately, LSU Dean of Music Laurence Kaptain approached him. “This is on such a grander scale, though—really [Kaptain’s] brainchild and fantastic inspiration,” says O’Riley, whose trailblazing, cross-genre playing has enthralled young musicians and educated audiences alike.

The 53-year-old artist says he can’t wait to spend more time collaborating with LSU musicians and soaking up the local culture.

Beginning this month From the Top airs Thursdays at 10 a.m. on WRKF 89.3 FM, and is available at wrkf.org. LPB will continue to air a video version of the series. christopheroriley.com

—JEFF ROEDEL