The Southeast Symposium on Contemporary Engineering Topics (SSCET)

Welcome to the 2025 Southeast Symposium on Contemporary Engineering Topics

SSCET is a premier regional conference that fosters collaboration among university faculty, students, and industry professionals from across the Southeastern United States. This annual, one-day event brings together experts and emerging leaders from diverse engineering disciplines to discuss cutting-edge research, innovative solutions, and workforce development initiatives.

SSCET serves as a dynamic platform for knowledge exchange, offering technical sessions, panel discussions, and networking opportunities designed to inspire interdisciplinary collaboration and strengthen industry-academic partnerships. Attendees can engage in discussions on emerging challenges in engineering and technology, helping shape the future of education, research, and professional practice.

Participants are invited to present their research or industry project outcomes at SSCET to:

• Disseminate results to experts across various engineering disciplines,

• Engage with industry professionals for broader impact and practical application, and

• Seek feedback and collaboration from both experts and interdisciplinary peers.

The 2025 Southeast Symposium on Contemporary Engineering Topics will be held on October 17, 2025, at Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge.

This symposium offers a unique forum for universities, government agencies, and industry representatives in the Southeast to share solutions, address prevalent engineering challenges, and explore new opportunities in a multi-disciplinary environment.

Topics & Tracks

SSCET 2025 will feature presentations and discussions on a wide array of topics, including:

• Electrical and Computer Engineering

• Power Systems and Energy

• Cybersecurity

• Computing Systems and Software Engineering

• Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning

• Civil, Coastal, and Environmental Engineering

• Construction Management

• Industrial and Systems Engineering

• Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

• Chemical Engineering

• Petroleum Engineering

• Biological and Agricultural Engineering

• Ethics & Engineering Education

• Student Presentations

Join us at LSU for this exciting event as we explore the forefront of engineering innovation and collaboration in the Southeast.

2025 Schedule and Room Assignments

Will be available soon

University Partners 

SSCET is proud to collaborate with leading academic institutions across the Southeastern United States. Partner universities play a vital role in fostering innovation, advancing research, and supporting workforce development in engineering and technology.

Some of our key university partners include:

• Louisiana State University

• University of Arkansas, Little Rock

• Mississippi State University

• University of New Orleans

• University of Alabama Huntsville

• Lamar University

• University of Louisiana, Lafayette

• Jackson State University

• Louisiana Tech University

• Georgia Institute of Technology

This list represents just a few of the many universities participating in SSCET. We welcome and value contributions from all institutions across the region and beyond.

Industry Partners 

The Southeast Symposium on Contemporary Engineering Topics (SSCET) is proud to collaborate with a wide range of industry partners across the Southeastern United States. These partners play a vital role in supporting SSCET's mission by contributing to the success of the symposium through expertise, innovation, and collaboration.

Our current industry partners include:

• Entergy

• Southwest Power Pool (SPP)

• Shell

• Chevron

• Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation

• PSC2000

• Siemens

• Laitram

• Waldemar S. Nelson and Company

This list highlights just a few of the many industry collaborators participating in SSCET. We warmly welcome and value contributions from all industries across the region and beyond, as they are essential to fostering innovation and advancing engineering solutions.

Please contact kargarian@lsu.edu if you are interested in partnering with or supporting SSCET.

History of the SSCET

SSCET was first held in New Orleans in 2009, initiated by the IEEE New Orleans Industry Applications Society Chapter, with support from the IEEE New Orleans Section and hosted at the University of New Orleans (UNO). Following the inaugural event, power engineering professors from LSU, Mississippi State University (MSU), Georgia Tech, and UNO proposed rotating the symposium among participating universities in the Southeast.

Initially focused on electrical power engineering, SSCET began with contributions from four universities, with its website hosted on the IEEE New Orleans Section site. In 2011, the symposium expanded to three tracks: Power, Communications, and Electrical & Computer Engineering, attracting participation from eight universities and eight companies. That same year, the website moved to its own domain, sscet.net.

In 2012, SSCET introduced a Civil and Environmental Engineering track and a Student track, with participation growing to ten universities. The symposium website was then transferred to Mississippi State University for maintenance. The following year (2013), additional tracks were introduced, including Professional Development, Engineering Education, and Energy Leadership, while Coastal Engineering was integrated into the Civil and Environmental track.

By 2014, SSCET further expanded with a Naval Engineering track and the addition of Controls to the Communications track. In 2015, the symposium continued to grow with the inclusion of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering and Smart Grid tracks, along with the introduction of a STEM roundtable session. That year, the University of Alabama Huntsville took over website maintenance, while the site remained hosted on an MSU server.

In 2016, the Systems Engineering track was added, further broadening the scope of SSCET as a premier platform for advancing contemporary engineering topics across the Southeast.