Juanita Self, an instructor at Northwestern State University’s Leesville-Fort Polk campus, was recently named the 2013 recipient of the Larry Monk Award.

The award honors Monk, executive director of the Leesville-Fort Polk campus from 2003-08.

Self has taught mathematics at Northwestern State’s Fort Polk/Leesville

campus for 25 years. She received a master’s in mathematics from McNeese State University and began teaching as an adjunct instructor. In 1994, Self became computer information systems manager on the Leesville/Fort Polk campus and continued to teach math courses. Self provides academic advising to students

PEOPLEDr. Martha Rhymes

(Department of Teaching & Learning) and Lisa Rougeou (NSU Writing Project) presented sessions at the Louisiana Council Teachers of English Conference Nov. 1. The annual state conference was held on the NSU campus this year under sponsorship of the NSU Writing Project and the Department of Language & Communication. Rhymes presented “Teaching Tiered Vocabulary: The Lesser Known Shift in Common Core State Standards” and Rougeou presented “CCSS Anchor Standard 10: What Does It Mean to ‘Write Routinely’?” to a state-wide audience of English Language Arts teachers and administrators.

Ben Wood, associate professor in Allied Health (Radiologic Technology), published an article in the November/December issue of Radiologic Technology, the national journal for the American Society for Radiologic Technologists. “A Modified Fuchs View Monk Award...Continued on page 2

A PUBLICATION FOR THE FACULTY AND STAFF OF NORTHWESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANAVOLUME 37 NO. 11 DECEMBER 2013

Continued on page 3

Juanita Self was named the 2013 recipient of the Larry Monk Award which is presented annually to a faculty or staff member on Northwestern State’s Leesville/Fort Polk campus. Self has been a member of NSU’s faculty since 1988. Attending the presentation were, from left, Jason Parks, executive director of Northwestern State’s Cenla campus, Northwestern State President Dr. Randall J. Webb, Juanita Self and her husband Gil Self.

Self named 2013 Monk Award winner

Next Publication:May 2012

Deadline for Entries:

Thursday, April 26

Please submit news to: Leah Jackson, News Bureau, Prather Coliseum, FAX 5905 or e-mail jacksonl@nsula.edu.

For more information, call Ext. 6466.

NSU News is a news-letter published by the NSU News Bureau.

NSU News serves the faculty and staff of Northwestern State University. Personnel on all campuses are encouraged to submit information regard-ing their professional accomplishments as well as their personal milestones.

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Monk Award ... Continued from Page 1

and was named the NSU Faculty Advisor of the Year Award in 2003.

While on NSU’s faculty, she has been instrumental in writing grants to improve the computer labs and the academic environment on the Leesville/Fort Polk campus. Since 1997, she has played a major role in obtaining more than $350,000 in grants for the Leesville/Fort Polk campus. Self has participated in grant and pilot projects and enjoys developing and teaching online courses.

Monk was a faculty member on the Leesville/Fort Polk campus for almost 20 years before becoming executive director of the campus.

Monk was an instructor of education from 1999 until 2003, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in education and educational leadership. From 1981 until 1996, he was an

adjunct instructor, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in computer science, education, educational leadership and educational psychology.

Monk was a teacher at West Leesville Elementary and Leesville High School before being named Vernon Parish’s curriculum director in 1981. In 1988, he was selected as assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction, in-service and professional personnel. Monk held that position until 1999.

Monk received a bachelor’s degree, a master’s in business education and distributive education and a doctorate in secondary teaching, supervision and administration from NSU. He did additional post-doctoral study at UCLA, Peabody Teacher’s College of Vanderbilt University and Northeast Louisiana University.

Monk was a veteran of the U.S. Navy.

Curtis Desselles Jr. has authored a book documenting the history of a Natchitoches Cemetery established in 1903.

“Breda Town Cemetery: A Resting Place” was published by the Northwestern State University Press in October. It outlines the history of the African-American cemetery and volunteer efforts for its rehabilitation and preservation. Volunteers from the Breda Town Cemetery Association worked with NSU students and faculty to inventory and map gravesites, with help from U.S. Forest Service archaeologists from Kisatchie National Forest. The site was cleaned of weeds and overgrowth with the help of inmates from the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center and Heritage Area personnel helped clean and repair some grave markers.

The Breda Town Cemetery is a non-denominational cemetery located on what was once the Jean Phillipe Breda plantation in west Natchitoches and is currently maintained by the Breda Town Cemetery Association, who sought help in documenting the history of the cemetery and the people who are laid to rest there.

Desselles was able to document cultural patterns and traditions evident in the cemetery that illustrate the value of the afterlife in the African American culture.

Desselles is an adjunct instructor of history at Northwestern State. Dr. Pete Gregory and Sheila Richmond edited the book. Wes Jones contributed to the book’s design.

Funding for the book was provided through a grant from the Cane River National Heritage Area. For more information, contact Desselles at (318) 357-6685 or email cenlasoft@yahoo.com.

Desselles book documents people, customs of local cemetery

Nine students in Northwestern State University’s Computer Information Systems program successfully competed in the Association of Information Technology Professionals Region 3 student conference in Oklahoma City, Okla., Oct. 31-Nov. 2. Region 3 is a six-state region encompassing Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and New Mexico.

Northwestern State students brought back four awards. Greg Cruice of Natchitoches and Adriane Lemoine of Pineville placed second and

Jorge Rodriguez of San Pedru Sula, Honduras, placed third in Mobile Application Development. Matthew Foshee of Natchitoches and Derek Young of Natchitoches placed third in Systems Analysis and Ryan Galmiche of Natchitoches and Young earned Honorable Mention in Microsoft Office Solutions.

Several students tested in the Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) certification exams. Rodriguez earned certification in Windows Server and Windows Operating System. Foshee earned certification in Database Development.

Northwestern State University Computer Information Systems students who competed in the AITP Region 3 conference were, front row from left, Greg Cruice, Adriane Lemoine, Derek Young, Kazue Seo and Caleb Lemoine. On the back row are Jorge Rodriguez, Ryan Galmiche, Matt Foshee, Mason Wiley and faculty sponsors Barbara Russell and Dr. Jack Russell, CIS coordinator.

CIS students compete at regional conference

Solution” addresses techniques for imaging the cervical spine. Wood is a member of the Radiologic Technologic Editorial Review Board and the 2013 ASRT Professional Advancement Scholarship recipient.

Dr. Thomas W. Reynolds Jr. (Lang/Comm) and Dr. Shane Rasmussen (Lang/Comm) presented papers at the 70th Annual South Central MLA Conference in New Orleans. Reynolds’ paper addressed Ray Nagin’s Chocolate City speech through the lens of conservative rhetorician Richard Weaver. Rasmussen’s paper focused on spiritual inspiration in the art of local outsider artists. Their work was presented alongside a

paper by former NSU professor Andy Crank on a panel titled “Subjects and Subjectivities in Southern Studies.”

Dr. Darlene Williams, vice president for Technology, Research and Economic Development, and Dr. Susan Thorson-Barnett, head of the Department of Psychology, were inducted into Northwestern State’s chapter of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, the nation’s oldest, largest and most selective all-discipline honor society. Phi Kappa Phi’s mission is to recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and engage the community of scholars in service to others.

People ... Continued from Page 1

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In culmination of Northwestern State University’s ADVANCE Program for Young Scholars’ 25th anniversary, Assistant Director Harriette Palmer attended the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) convention held in Indianapolis, Ind.

“The NAGC convention provides an excellent opportunity to network with teachers, educators and other professionals who strive to address the unique needs of academically gifted and talented youth,” Palmer said.

NSU’s ADVANCE Program is the only residential summer program for gifted youth in the state of Louisiana that is affiliated with Duke University’s Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP). Duke TIP’s 7th Grade Talent Search identifies students across 16 states in the Southeastern region of the United States who scored at or above the 95th percentile on a grade-level achievement test. Duke TIP participants take above-level college-entrance exams (ACT or SAT) to learn more about their abilities.

ADVANCE is a three-week program that offers a demanding and exciting curriculum for rising 8th – 12th grade gifted and talented students. ADVANCE provides a unique learning environ-ment designed to motivate and challenge aca-demically gifted students and set them on a path toward a lifetime of high academic achievement. Students enroll in a single course for three weeks of in-depth study. While the majority of AD-VANCE students are from Louisiana and Texas,

ADVANCE enrolled students from nine states this past June.

The residential life portion of ADVANCE is vital to the program, offering balanced leisure and cultural activities to complement the inten-sive academic curriculum. ADVANCE has built up a host of traditions and a strong community of staff and students that keep students returning year after year.

The ADVANCE web site, advance.nsula.edu, will be updated in January for the June 2014 program.

Harriette Palmer, assistant director of North-western State University’s ADVANCE Program for Young Scholars, attended the National As-sociation for Gifted Children conference. From left are Judy Elsey, who serves as talent search manager for Duke TIP, with Palmer.

Palmer attends convention focused on gifted children

Dr. Lynn Woods, professor of hospitality management and tourism at Northwestern State University, will lead a tour of Ireland, France, Belgium and the Netherlands May 16-29, 2014. The tour is open to the students, faculty and the general public.

“If you have ever wanted to stroll down the Champs Elysees, bicycle through the streets of Amsterdam or learn how to Celtic clog, now is your chance,” Woods said. “Our tour of Ireland, France, Belgium and the Netherlands is packed with exciting activities and a chance of a lifetime experience.”

The two-week tour is all-inclusive with round trip airfare, all transportation including overnight cruise from Ireland to France

with individual staterooms, three star accommodations, knowledgeable tour guide and breakfast and dinner every day.

“By far, the biggest savings come from including all the admissions and attractions to such fabulous excursions as the Moulin Rouge, the Louvre, a medieval banquet at Bunratty Castle, Celtic music night in an Irish pub, winetasting in a vineyard in the Loire, Mt. St. Michel and a canal cruise in Amsterdam,” Woods said. “We will visit Anne Frank’s secret hideaway, accessed by crawling through the hold behind the bookcase and learn to make chocolate bunny rabbits at a factory in Brussels and much more.”

The per person price for two weeks is approximately

$5,000. Dates are subjects to change. Arrangements are also possible for students from other universities to participate for credit in their program.

Woods said the trip is the perfect Christmas gift.

“For those who wonder ‘What can I get him or her?’ this is the perfect solution, a once in a lifetime journey to Ireland, France Belgium and the Netherlands,” she said.

“Best of all, you can sign up for the trip on-line this month, pay a little each month and by May, you are ready to go.”

Information about the trip is available at efcollegestudytours.com/1371490RJ. For more information, contact Woods at llwoods@nsula.edu or call (318) 357-5085.

Woods will lead European tour in 2014

As the Office of Electronic and Continuing Education commemorated Distance Learning Week Nov. 11-15, several faculty were recognized whose Quality Matters approved courses went above and beyond the national requirements. Quality Matters (QM) is a faculty centered, peer reviewed process that is designed to certify the quality of online and blended courses. The QM Rubric consists of eight general standards and 41 specific standards used to evaluate the design on online courses.

Recognized as exemplary were Dr. Begona Perez-Mira, Marketing 3230; Leah Forsyth, Fine Arts 1040, and Dr. Mary Edith Stacy, Psychology 4400.

Eligible courses were nominated by faculty and evaluated by a panel of certified QM reviewers.

Other nominees were Dr. Margaret Kilcoyne, Business Adminsitration 2200; Perez-Mira for Marketing 4440; Dr. Oli Mohammadi, Communications 1010; Juanita Self, Math 2010; John Williams, Business

Adminstration 3250, and Dr. Susan Barnett and Marcus Cherry, AS 1010, Introduction to Addiction Disorders.

ECE staff would like to thank the faculty for their participation and for their tireless work in assuring outstanding courses for NSU’s online students.

For more information, go to eNSU’s National Distance Learning Week website: http://ndlw.nsula.edu/qm-recognition/, or contact the Office of Electronic and Continuing Education.

ECE lauds faculty for exemplary online coursework

Ireland, Belgium, France, the Netherlands on itinerary

The 5th annual Natchitoches-NSU Multicultural Christmas Concert was held on Tuesday, December 3rd at Treen Auditorium at the Louisiana School for Math, Science,

and the Arts. The event was a benefit concert for the local nonprofit organization Cane River Children’s Services. The event was sponsored by The Louisiana Folklife Center, the Northwestern State University

Office of Cultural Diversity and the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts.

Many people contributed to making the event a success. The Louisiana Folklife Center staff, comprised of students Jasmine Jenkins, Kayla Hardy, Rachelle Tellock, and Hannah Tinsley, and administrative assistant Shelia Thompson, planned and promoted the event. John Shore, residential life coordinator for the LSMSA, served as the liaison between the Folklife Center and LSMSA, and was also the stage manager for the concert.

The concert featured an array of both secular and sacred Christmas performances. Performers included the Angels Praise Dance Group, Hardrick Rivers and Friends, the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center Choir, directed by Nancy Drawhorn, Natchitoches Central NCHOIR soloists Elainna Carroll, Michael McClung, and Makenna Middlebrooks accompanied by Director Peggy Fisher on

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A “ghost of history” ap-peared at Northwestern State University’s Watson Library Nov. 21 to speak about his writ-ing and philosophy to those gathered to celebrate the 300th birthday of Denis Diderot, a French philosopher best known for editing L’Enclyclopedie, an 18th century collection of infor-mation on the mechanical arts and sciences and one of the first encyclopedias ever created.

An incarnation of Diderot appeared in the form of Andy Ferrell, chief of the architecture and engineering program at the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, which is housed on the NSU campus. Costumed as the controversial French intellectual, Ferrell addressed guests in French and

English explaining Diderot’s motives in gathering and publishing knowledge, thereby democratizing it for all people, not just the elite.

L’Encyclopedie is a 28-volume collection of large illustrated books first published in France between 1751 and 1772 that addresses everything from tanning leather and building carriages to crop cultivation. Diderot/Ferrell said the editors tried to gather protected information from trades associations of the day and make their information public. Forty-three hundred editions of the set were originally printed, an impressive undertaking at the time. The books were banned because of their contents and later reentered circulation.

Diderot’s Enlightenment philosophies, which challenged the authority of the French monarchy and the Catholic church, may have had some influence that led to the French revolution.

Northwestern State will host an exhibit dedicated to Diderot and some of the volumes in the Cammie G. Henry Research Center through the end of 2014 in conjunction with the city of Natchitoches Tricentennial celebration. Through the year, other volumes and objects that enhance the perspective of the historic books will rotate in and out of the exhibit, said Laura Gates, superintendent of the Cane River Creole National Historical Park. The books

Northwestern State University’s Cammie G. Henry Research Center hosted a 300th birthday celebration honoring of the French philosopher Denis Diderot, editor of L’Encyclopedie, the world’s first encyclopedia. The series was donated by the Prudhomme family of Oakland Plantation, which was acquired by the National Park Service in 1995. From left are Cane River Creole National Historical Park Superintendent Laura Gates and Andy Ferrell as Diderot with Prudhomme descendants Kathy Guin, Viv and Ted Duggan and Denise Poleman.

Library hosts 300th birthday fete for Diderot

Diderot...Continued on page 9Continued on page 9

The Sazz Network

Multicultural Concert showcases diverse talents

NSU E-Lab Performers under the direction of Lisa Wiggins performed during the program.

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piano, the NSU E-Lab Performers, directed by Lisa Wiggins, NSU students Alaia Cobb and Sarah Jones, the Natchitoches-Northwestern Horn Society, conducted by Dr. Kristine Coreil, Samuel Lane, the Sazz Network which is composed of NSU students, and the Tunica Language Revitalization Project and Tunica-Biloxi Youth, directed by John Barbry. Barbry ended the concert by leading the audience in a group singing of “Silent Night,” which concluded the concert in its traditional manner.

“We are so grateful to have had so many

talented people perform in this year’s concert. The talent and dedication of these performers is simply off the charts. The concert is a great opportunity for the community to come together to celebrate the season and support a charitable cause,” said Dr. Shane Rasmussen, associate professor of English at NSU and director of the Louisiana Folklife Center.

The concert serves as both a retention and a recruitment event for NSU, with performances by community members of all ages as well as by current NSU students.

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Dr. Margaret Kilcoyne, director of North-western State University’s School of Business, was named the Technology Educator of the Year by Gov. Bobby Jindal. The Governor’s Technol-ogy Awards were announced Monday to recog-nize achievement in technology across the state. The Louisiana Technology Council, regional eco-nomic development organizations and chambers of commerce support the Governor’s Technology Awards, a statewide cooperative that recognizes technology achievements across the state.

The Technology Educator of the Year award must be a teacher or instructor in K-12 public or private school, higher education institution, technical or training company; must be an out-standing example of “Information Age Educator” using current technologies to educate, motivate and inspire students to develop careers in tech-nology fields.

“I’m very honored to be the recipient of this award,” said Kilcoyne, lauding the support of NSU President Dr. Randall J. Webb, Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Af-fairs Dr. Lisa Abney, Vice President for Technol-ogy, Research and Economic Development Dr. Darlene Williams and Dr. Austin Temple, dean of the College of Science, Technology and Busi-ness, for their support. “Of course, my students who allow me to model and use technology in the

classroom.”Kilcoyne routinely uses technology for ad-

ministrative purposes in promoting the School of Business and bolstering student recruiting and re-tention by obtaining student opinions on classes and instruction via online surveys. She fosters business and industry partnerships by encourag-ing students to participate in myEdu as a network tool with prospective employers and uses tech-nology for classroom support in face-to-face and online classes by posting class lectures online. She conducts group work with wikis, virtual dis-cussion boards and chats. Both online and face to face students practice communicating in a virtual environment using different online tools in the classroom. She uses mobile technology to record classroom lectures, which is portable, discreet and more affordable than other classroom lecture systems.

Northwestern State business students utilize technology in their presentations and reports and explore current events utilizing Flipbook. The faculty provide all relevant materials, notes, power points, recordings and practice materi-als online and stream live video feed to distance students or those unable to attend class. Students also learn to use digital research tools and are

able to submit assignments in a variety of for-mats.

Kilcoyne has been at Northwestern State for 25 years as a faculty and administrator and has been director of the School of Business since April 2012. Prior to that, she was coordinator of assessment and academic services and a full pro-fessor in the College of Science, Technology and Business. Kilcoyne assisted with the develop-ment and collection of required assessment items, assisted the director of the School of Business with accrediting agency requirements, managed Russell Hall and assisted with business outreach initiatives. From 2005 until 2010, Kilcoyne was director of business programs and an assistant professor, directing and coordinating five degree programs.

Kilcoyne has received a number of honors

for her research and teaching from her peers. Last year she was named Educator of the Year by the Louisiana Association for Career and Techni-cal Education and Outstanding Postsecondary Teacher of the Year by Louisiana Association of Business Educators (LABE). She earned the LABE Making a Difference Award in 2011 and was recognized by the Association of Busi-ness Information systems McGraw-Hill Irwin as Distinguished Paper award recipient. She cur-rently holds the NSU’s Noble Morrison Endowed Professorship.

In addition to Technology Educator of the Year, the Governor’s Technology Awards are presented in four other categories, Technology Product of the Year, Outstanding Leadership in Technology, Growth Technology Company/Orga-nization and Best Application of Technology.

Diderot ... Continued from Page 6

Kilcoyne ... Continued from Page 8

are part of the artifacts at Oakland Plantation, established by the Prudhomme family who settled the area in the 1970s, now part of the Cane River Creole National Historical Park.

Members of the Prudhomme family who attended Diderot’s fete remembered entertaining themselves with the books as children. Kathy Prudhomme Guin said she didn’t know how her ancestors acquired the books, if they brought them when they emigrated from France in the late 18th century of if they purchased them after they settled and began farming along present-day Cane River. Of the 28 volumes in the Prudhomme collection, only one is missing.

Diderot/Ferrell expressed interest in exploring the grounds at Oakland Plantation to see if any information had been directly

implemented from L’Encyclopedie. Paging through one volume, Guin commented on illustrations of locks and keys that seemed familiar and noted that many tools, such as drills used to drill for water, were made on the plantation.

The event was presented by Cane River Creole National Historical Park, Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site, National Center for Preservation Technology and Training and the Cammie G. Henry Research Center. Diderot’s actual birthday is Oct. 5, but the celebration was postponed due to the U.S. government shutdown, organizers said.

For more information, contact University Archivist Mary Linn Wernet at (318) 357-4585 or Gates at (318) 352-0383.

Colleagues congratulated Dr. Margaret Kilcoyne on being named Louisiana’s Technology Educator of the Year. From left are Dr. Mark A. Thompson, NSU President Dr. Randall J. Webb, Brittany McConathy, Kilcoyne, Jim Kilcoyne, Dr. Darlene Williams and Dr. Begona Perez-Mira.

Governor names Kilcoyne top Technology Educator

Kilcoyne...Continued on page 9

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It’s official: the Natchi-toches Bead Town mosaic, “Une Rue Principale en Loui-siana (A Main Street of Louisi-ana)” is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest bead mural in the world. Guin-ness Adjudicator Amanda Mo-chan was at Northwestern State University Wednesday to mea-sure the 48 x 8-foot art piece, which at 384 square feet far surpasses the previous record, a bead mural in The Netherlands that measures 189 square feet.

Amid cheers, music and festivities, artist Stephan Wanger thanked the more than 5,000 volunteers who helped cut, sort and glue beads to the mural during the last six months. Students from NSU

Elementary Lab School joined Natchitoches’ Miss Merry Christmas and the Christmas Belles, city and parish officials for the announcement from Guinness.

A committee of volunteers raised over $11,000 to bring Mochan, the Guinness official, to Natchitoches. She said only four percent of the Guinness applicants ever reach their goal and that the hallmarks of a successful project are passion, dedication and teamwork.

“Une Rue Principale en Louisiana” depicts a panoramic view of Front Street and Cane River with symbolic elements that acknowledge the city’s historic past and cultural influences. The piece is almost

entirely composed of Mardi Gras beads, the exception being the walkways pictured in front of the Roque House. Those are made from tiny local fossils provided by Veronica Sturman, 11, who volunteered the most hours to the project. Sturman and five other youngsters are pictured within the mural holding Northwestern State flags.

The mural, commissioned by the city of Natchitoches in celebration of its Tricentennial, brought together volunteers of all ages and walks of life to contribute to its creation.

Wanger is a German-born artist who moved to

New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and began creating large-scale works of art using discarded Mardi Gras beads. He has been working in Natchitoches since last summer, leading workshops for school groups and other volunteers.

Bead Town projects not only encourage upcycling of materials, but bring different groups of people together to foster a sense of community, he said.

In conjunction with the mural’s completion, a screening of a documentary by the independent Cataclysm Pictures took place in Magale Recital Hall. The film profiles Wanger’s work in New Orleans and other communities and his motives in reaching out to youth. More information about the film is available at beadtownfilm.com.

The mural and Wanger’s other work will

travel in January to Chicago and northern Indiana, where Wanger hopes to expose Louisiana culture to a mid-western audience.

Bead Town was sponsored by the Cane River National Heritage Area and hosted by Northwestern State University’s School of Creative and Performing Arts/Department of Fine and Graphic Art with support from several local civic, community and economic development groups, businesses and individuals. Wanger also initiated the Natchitoches Legacy Art Project, an interest-bearing trust fund established to benefit future students. The trust will be established through the sale of 300 prints of the Natchitoches mural.

Information on Wanger’s work is available at galeriaalegria.com and at Facebook.com/BeadTownNatchitoches.

Artist Stephan Wanger, NSU First Lady Brenda Webb and Guinness World Records Adjudicator Amanda Mochan display the official World Records certificate for “Une Rue Principale en Louisiane (A Main Street of Louisiana),” which was unveiled Dec. 4.

Natchitoches Bead mosaic certified by Guinness

A Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at Northwestern State University has been approved by the Board of Regents. The program will begin next fall.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree is a practice-focused doctoral degree for nurses seeking to further their career in advanced nursing practice. Courses will be delivered primarily via the Internet and compressed video.

“The approval of the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree is a major step forward for the College of Nursing and School of Allied Health and Northwestern State,” said NSU President Dr. Randall J. Webb. “Our nursing program has received national recognition for its quality and the DNP will be a major asset as we continue

to grow to meet the healthcare needs of our region and the state.”

Northwestern State’s program would be the only one of its type available in north Louisiana. University officials said there is high demand for the program and that many prospective students in north Louisiana have been pursuing the DNP degree at out-of-state institutions. Northwestern State has four nurse practitioner concentrations in its Master of Science in Nursing program and is the largest single university producer of nurse practitioners in Louisiana.

The program will begin in two phases. Phase one entry is for individuals with a master’s degree or research doctorate degree who hold advanced practice nursing certification.

Phase two entry is for baccalaureate prepared nurses.

Development of the program is in line with a proposal by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing to promote the DNP as the entry level for advanced nursing practice based on the increased complexity of patient care, concerns about the quality of care and patient safety, demands for a higher level of preparation for leaders who can design and assess care, shortages of doctoral-level nursing faculty and increasing educational expectations for the preparation of other health professionals. The DNP degree would prepare nurses with a blend of clinical, organizational, economic and leadership skills that would provide a positive impact on health care outcomes.

Regents grant approval for DNP degree

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Dr. Chris Maggio, North-western State University’s as-sistant vice president for exter-nal affairs, will attend the U.S. Army All-American Bowl as a community leader/educator. NSU’s ROTC Demon regiment nominated Maggio, one of four selected community leader/edu-cators from the 6th ROTC bri-gade, which covers all schools from Louisiana to Puerto Rico along the gulf coast.

The 14th annual U.S. Army All-American Bowl, the nation’s premier high school football game, will take place in San Antonio, Texas, on Jan. 4, 2014, and will feature the nation’s best 90 players in a classic East vs. West matchup that will be broadcast on NBC.

“All 273 Army ROTC pro-grams nation-wide could submit a name for consideration,” said LTC William Macky Under-wood, professor military sci-ence who nominated Maggio. “Only 27 community leaders/educators were selected to at-tend from those nominations. In our region of 39 ROTC host schools, Dr. Maggio was one of only four community leaders/educators selected.”

Military science faculty presented Maggio with a spe-cial jacket to wear during the game.

“This is a special honor and I don’t take it lightly,” Maggio said. “I’m proud to be chosen to represent Northwestern State and our fine ROTC program during this event.”

“The U. S. Army All-Amer-ican Bowl is more than just a football game. It is an outreach

program that gets America back in touch with its Army. The purpose is to show the nation that only the strongest are chosen to wear the Army colors, and the young men and women who serve truly embody the characteristics of the Army Strong Soldier – demonstrating strength through loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage on a daily basis,” Underwood said.

Underwood nominated Maggio in thanks for his sup-port of Army ROTC at North-western State and to give him the opportunity to learn more about opportunities available to qualified students who want to serve in the U.S. Army.

“Dr. Maggio has extensive expertise and experience in student recruitment,” Under-wood said. “His experiences as a life-long educator make him the perfect candidate to develop strong relationships with Army soldiers and leaders in order to tell the Army’s story to others

while he performs his duties for NSU. Dr. Maggio is the ideal person on campus and in the community to educate others on the opportunities available to qualified students who want to serve their nation in the U. S. Army.”

The U.S. Army All-Amer-ican Bowl is a year-round high school outreach program that recognizes the talents of the best and brightest students from across the country and culmi-nates in the nation’s premier high school all-star football game. Most importantly, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl connects America with its Army by allowing both public and influential leaders like Mag-gio to directly meet with Army soldiers, civilians, cadets and future soldiers. In addition to athletes, high school musicians are selected to participate in the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band, compris-ing 125 of the nation’s finest marching band participants, to perform at halftime.

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Lt. Col. William Macky Underwood, left, and Master Sgt. Scott Stet-son, right, presented Dr. Chris Maggio with a special jacket to be worn at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in January. Maggio was selected to attend as a community/leader educator.

Northwestern State Univer-sity does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, na-tional origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.

The following individuals have been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies (i.e., Title IX):

• Employees/Potential Employees – Veronica M. Biscoe, EEO Officer (318-357-6359) • Students – Frances Conine, Dean of Students (318-357-5286)

For Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) con-cerns, contact the Disability Support and Tutoring Direc-tor, Catherine Faucheaux, at 318-357-4460.

Full disclosure statement: http://universityplanning.nsula.edu/notice-of-non-discrimination/

*Inquiries regarding employment applications should call Business Affairs (318) 357-5446.

Joyce Barnes, academic advisor/recruiting support specialist at Northwestern State’s Leesville-Fort Polk campus, rereleased a children’s Christmas book she wrote for her son when he was a child.

“Patches, the Blessed Beast of Burden” is the uplifting Christmas story of the donkey that carried Mary to Bethlehem.

Barnes first told the story of Patches to her son Brad, born in 1971, when he was three years old. By the time “Patches” was first published in 1991, many children in their hometown were familiar with the story.

The book was illustrated by Ron Spagnola. At age 54, Barnes enrolled in college never having

graduated from high school. She earned a bachelor’s degree, a master’s in adult education and this past spring completed a specialist degree in education leadership and supervision.

For information on “Patches,” visit patcheschristmas.com.

‘Patches’ Christmas book by Joyce Barnes on sale now

Consider the gift of Crisis Leave Northwestern State

University employees are invited to donate to the Crisis Leave Pool.

Anyone who accumulates annual leave can donate a minimum of eight hours or a maximum of 16 hours per fiscal year.

The Crisis Leave Program is a means of providing paid

leave to an eligible employee who has experienced a catastrophic illness or injury to himself/herself or eligible family member. The program’s intent is to provide assistance to employees who, through no fault of their own, have insufficient appropriate accrued leave to cover the crisis leave period.

Employees can only donate annual leave into the pool. You can obtain a copy of the donation form by contacting Yvette Garrett Ceasar-Williams, associate registrar for records, by calling Ext. 6171 or e-mailing williamsy@nsula.edu. The form must be submitted to the Payroll Department in Business Affairs.

A memorial service to honor Valerie Ann Watkins Parker, sister of Frances Watkins Conine, dean of student, was held Nov. 5 in Sunflower, Miss. Mrs. Parker passed away Nov. 3 in Sunflower.

Services for Lee H. Bobb, grandfather of Yolanda Bobb, Watson Library, were held Nov. 13 at St. Matthew in Alexandria. Mr. Bobb died Nov. 6.

Services for Felix “T-Fra” Monette, father of Judy Rachal, University Printing, were held at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 6 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Cloutierville. Monette was retired from the Physical Plant, where he worked as a plumber.

Sympathy

Maggio will attend Army All-American Bowl

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VOLUME 37 NO. 11DECEMBER 2013