Published January 11, 2023
MONROE, LA – The University of Louisiana Monroe has received approval for federal funding for two
projects that will make a positive impact for citizens of Louisiana. The amount for
both projects totals $2,505,000, which will be funded by the Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus
Appropriations Bill recently passed in the U.S. House and Senate. The projects were
supported by Louisiana’s federal legislators after originating in the form of Community
Project Funding (CPF) requests.
Louisiana District 5 U.S. Representative Julia Letlow sponsored the request for the
State Mesonet Network Project. This project was approved for $2,000,000 as part of
the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2023.
Mesonets are interconnected networks of instrumented monitoring stations across an
entire state or region that measure temperature, humidity, pressure, solar radiation,
wind speed and direction, precipitation, and soil conditions. The Mesonet and its
data will be used for critical weather and climate monitoring that will affect sectors
such as severe and hazardous weather forecasting, homeland security and emergency
management, aviation, energy and renewables, agriculture, transportation, and education.
“Our universities are the economic engines of our region, and I was proud to help
secure this substantial federal investment for the University of Louisiana Monroe,” Congresswoman
Letlow said. “This project at ULM will provide critical information to our farmers,
small business owners, and community leaders so they can better plan and respond to
weather events,” she added.
The funding will be used to purchase equipment to support the installation of 100
mesonet sites across Louisiana. At least one site will be installed in every parish,
with some parishes having multiple sites, given their size and population distribution.
U.S. Senator Dr. Bill Cassidy sponsored the request for the Mobilized Aid and Disaster
Relief for Emergencies (M.A.D.R.E.) project. ULM was awarded $505,000 for the project as
part of the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act of 2023. The project will support evacuation shelters
in Northeast Louisiana during disasters such as hurricanes. M.A.D.R.E. is the brainchild
of an interprofessional group of students and faculty from the ULM College of Health
Sciences and the ULM College of Pharmacy.
“The M.A.D.R.E. project will help Northeast Louisiana build healthier and safer communities,” said
Dr. Cassidy. “It serves Louisiana families with a double purpose, both of which are
focused on saving lives.”
M.A.D.R.E. will use a mobile pharmacy unit that will be deployed when people are displaced
from their homes and usual avenues of healthcare due to natural disasters. During
non-disaster times, the unit will provide support in rural and medically underserved
communities to provide great access to prescriptions, vaccinations, and health screenings.
“ULM is very grateful to Congresswoman Letlow and Senator Cassidy for their support
of these impactful projects that will help us further our mission of changing lives,
not just in our region, but across Louisiana,” said ULM President Dr. Ronald Berry.
