Avondale to be subject of study

NEW ORLEANS, La. - As the Avondale shipyard moves toward closing in 2013, researchers from several universities are teaming to study the 73-year-old facility's economic and cultural contributions to the region. In the coming months, faculty from Loyola, Tulane, Southern University New Orleans and the University of New Orleans plan to survey current and former shipyard employees on a range of topics. Part of the research will focus on examining potential mental and physical health impacts the winding down of the facility may be having on its shrinking workforce. Northrop Grumman, which owned the yard until it was spun off as part of Huntington-Ingalls, decided last year to close the yard. (Source: Times-Picayune, 05/22/11)