Interim Dean Karsten Thompson 

Dr. Karsten Thompson joined LSU in 1996 as an assistant professor of chemical engineering. He was later promoted to associate and full professor in chemical engineering and served in a number of administrative roles, particularly supporting the undergraduate program. In 2011, he was appointed chair of the Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering, where he remained until appointment as interim dean of the College of Engineering in 2023. During this period, he led the department through a turbulent time in the oil and gas industry and into the beginnings of the energy transition.

Dr. Thompson’s expertise is in the areas of flow and reaction in porous materials, with a particular focus on image-based modeling. He has led sponsored research projects for a variety of companies, including Kimberly-Clark, Millipore, BP, ExxonMobil, Schlumberger, and Shell.  In 2023, he began a two-year term as president of the International Society for Porous Media (or InterPore).

He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado and his master’s and PhD degrees from the University of Michigan, all in chemical engineering.