NATCHITOCHES – Eleven Northwestern State University faculty have earned tenure and 14 have received promotion effective with the start of the 2023-24 academic year. according to Dr. Greg Handel, provost and vice president for academic affairs. The Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System approved the tenure and promotion recommendations.
Faculty who received tenure were Dr. Adam Hudlow and Dr. Marcy McKee of the Dear School of Creative and Performing Arts, Dr. April Jessup Giddens of the Gallaspy College of Education and Human Development, George Lange III and Dr. Rebecca Riall of the School of Social Science and Applied Programs, Dr. Windy Jaep and Dr. Jamie Usie of the College of Nursing, Deborah Huntington of Watson Library, Dr. MD Shahriar Hossain of the Department of Engineering Technology, Dr. Vianka Esteves-Miranda of the School of Business and Dr. Charles R. King of the Department of Psychology
Brett Alan Garfinkel and Dr. Terrie Sanders of the School of Creative and Performing Arts were promoted to professor. Those promoted to associate professor were. Dr. Renee Downy, Dr. Anne Jones, Dr, Stacy Mayeaux, Dr. Heather Hayter, Jaep and Usie,of the College of Nursing, Giddens, Hossain, Dr. Hassan Marzoughi of the School of Social Science and Applied Programs, Huntington, King, McKee and Riall.
Giddens, NBCT, graduated from Northwestern State in 1996 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education and in 1998 with a Master of Education in Educational Technology. In 2018, Giddens earned her Doctor of Education degree in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment from Walden University. She received National Board Certification in Reading and Literacy in 2007 and 2017. After teaching in the Pre-K-12 public school system for 21 years, she joined NSU in 2017. She currently serves as coordinator of the Curriculum and Instruction master’s program in the School of Education. Giddens has presented for NSU both nationally and internationally. She was awarded the Thomas E. Stewart Endowed Professorship, Outstanding Young Professional in Education Award, and the Gallaspy College of Education and Human Development Distinguished Teaching Award. In 2012, she was selected as the Louisiana Teacher of the Year. She serves as the faculty advisor for Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority at NSU.
Hossain joined as a tenure-track faculty member at NSU in January 2019. Since then, he published a full-length journal paper in IJPR (impact factor 9), and 9 conference proceedings, as well as presented 16 conference papers. He won the Best Track Paper Award at an international conference in 2019, received Clark & Wommack Clark Endowed Professorship in 2021, and was honored with Excellence in Teaching Award at the 2023 Faculty Institute. He supervised 4 undergraduate research projects, all of which were presented and/or published at different conferences. One of these research works won first place in the undergraduate research competition in 2023 sponsored by IEOM international society. Hossain was appraised as “Excellent” in classroom appraisal, and “Highest Merit” in faculty merit evaluation during three consecutive years. He developed three new courses, whole course materials for a new course, and 16 complete lab experiments. He served on the faculty senate, IRB, CREATE steering committee, and robotics camps.
Hudlow joined Northwestern State’s faculty in the fall of 2016. He teaches music theory, aural skills, form and arranging at the graduate and undergraduate levels. He also serves as the staff music arranger for the Spirit of Northwestern marching band. Before accepting his current position, he served as an adjunct instructor of music theory at NSU from 2013-2016. He holds a Ph.D. in music theory from Louisiana State University, where he served as graduate teaching fellow in music theory from 2009-2012. While earning his MM from the University of Houston, he taught music theory and aural skills as a graduate teaching assistant from 2008-2009. Hudlow’s research centers primarily on the music of Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim, music theory pedagogy and popular music analysis.
Huntington has been a member of NSU’s faculty for over six years. She received her MLIS from the University of Southern Mississippi and is the head of Collection Development and Cataloging at Eugene P. Watson Library. Huntington is an advisor for Alpha Beta Alpha, the National Library Fraternity that was originally started by Eugene P. Watson in the early 1950’s. She is also the Head of Watson’s Living Library: Everyone Has a Story, Secretary and co-membership chair of Phi Beta Delta International Honor Society and a UNIV 1000 Instructor.
Jaep, DNP, RN, CNE ,is an assistant professor of nursing. She is the first level BSN coordinator at Northwestern State and teaches lab and theory courses. Jaep completed her LPN degree in 1993 from Louisiana Technical College in Shreveport, her associate’s degree in nursing from Northwestern State in 1998, and her Bachelor of Science in nursing in 2008. She completed her master’s degree in nursing from the University of Phoenix in 2014. In May of 2022, Jaep completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at NSU. Jaep’s clinical background includes ER, ICU, OR, case management and outpatient dialysis.
King is a native of Pineville and received his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Northwestern State, a Master of Science in Health Care Administration from Central Michigan University and Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
King’s work history consists of 25 years of service in the addictive behavior treatment field. King is certified through the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium for Substance Abuse (IC&RC) and is currently licensed by the Louisiana Addictive Disorder Regulatory Authority (ADRA) in Addiction. He is an assistant psychology and addiction studies professor at Northwestern State. King is also the founder of First Choice Addiction Center, specializing in treating prenatal and postnatal substance users. Prenatal substance use is a critical public health concern linked with several harmful maternal and fetal consequences. Prenatal substance abuse can cause significant developmental and cognitive delays, especially if untreated and undiscovered. King identifies the broad spectrum of physical and developmental challenges for infants and the importance of coordinated services and early intervention for pregnant women with substance use disorder to enhance optimal bonding, health and well-being.
Lange is an associate professor of homeland security at NSU. He previously served as a career Marine Corps Judge Advocate, as Clerk of the Court for the U.S. Court of Appeals (2nd Cir.), and as Executive Director of a 200-lawyer firm in New Orleans. Col. Lange has a JD, MBA and MA.
McKee received her Doctor of Musical Arts in 2016 from Arizona State University. She earned her Master of Music and Bachelor of Music from West Texas A&M University. McKee teaches voice, lyric diction, and performance literature at Northwestern State. She has also taught at Bemidji State University, Arizona State University, West Texas A&M University and Central Arizona College.
McKee has sung throughout the United States and has also sung in Austria, Germany and Italy. Most recently, she sang the role of Mercedes in Bizet’s “Carmen” in Rome, Italy. She currently sings with a group promoting the AIDS Quilt Songbook. The ensemble has performed at the International Congress of Voice Teachers in Vienna, Austria, the College Music Society, southern regional conference, National Association of Teachers of Singing, regional conference, and will be performing for World AIDS day on December 1 at the University of Nebraska.
McKee is a two-time winner of the North Dakota division of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, Pi Kappa Lambda music honor society, and Mu Phi Epsilon a professional music fraternity. McKee’s research interest is in learning styles and how they facilitate a student’s ability to learn.
Miranda is an associate professor of finance in NSU’s College of Business and Technology. She holds a Doctor of Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance, a Master of Business Administration in Finance, a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with certification in Money and Banking, a Post Baccalaureate in Applied Business and multiple industry certifications including Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), SHRM-SCP, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Louisiana Real Estate Broker and is a Certified Higher Ed Quality Matters Master Peer Reviewer.
Miranda served as a member of the NSU Ignite and the Natchitoches Leadership teams as well as other non-profit boards. She has served in various executive leadership positions throughout her professional career and brings a wealth of business and industry knowledge and corporate experience to the classroom. She has scholarly presentations and publications related to her research interests which include organizational development, economic development, entrepreneurship and ESG.
Riall is an attorney (JD, Indiana University Maurer School of Law, 2009, licensed in Louisiana) and anthropologist (PhD, Indiana University Bloomington, 2014). At NSU, she coordinates pre-law and paralegal studies and successfully proposed the Black Studies and American Indian and Indigenous Studies minors. She teaches pre-law/paralegal studies, criminal justice, and anthropology classes, and advises NSU students on law school. Prior to NSU, she had her own law practice in Zwolle, and she currently works as a staff attorney for the 11th Judicial District Court in Many. Riall’s dissertation research on state-recognized American Indian nations included extensive fieldwork in Louisiana, particularly with the Choctaw-Apache Community of Ebarb. Riall was a co-founder of the First Nations Educational and Cultural Center at Indiana University and has also previously worked as a public defender. Today, she works closely with several Indigenous nonprofits, including the local Ho Minti Society, Inc.
Usie, DNP, RN, is the fourth level coordinator for the Associate of Science in Nursing program at Northwestern State and holds the rank of associate professor. She completed her Associate of Science in Nursing at University of Alaska Anchorage, her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing at Jacksonville University, and her Doctor of Nursing Practice at Northwestern State University. Usie’s clinical background includes: medical/surgical, pediatrics, home health, and corrections nursing. Her doctoral project was focused on a skin-to-skin educational program to increase knowledge and confidence of labor and delivery and nursery nurses.
Downey, DNP, RN, began her career in higher education as an adjunct clinical faculty and transitioned to a full-time position in the Bachelor of Science Nursing Program at NSU in 2005. During her tenure at NSU, Downey has served as an undergraduate coordinator in the 2nd, 4th, and 5th levels of the baccalaureate degree program. Downey is a three-time graduate of NSU’s College of Nursing & School of Allied Health, graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1987, Master of Science in Nursing in 2000 and a Doctor of Nursing Practice in 2021.
Garfinkel joined Northwestern State’s faculty in 2012 as an assistant professor of dance. During his time at NSU he has helped form the NSU Dance Company, created & organized a site-specific dance performance called Modern in Motion each fall. Garfinkel was instrumental in proposing and creating the first Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance at a state university in Louisiana. The degree was approved and enrolled 17 students its first year in Fall of 2018. Garfinkel was promoted to chair of the Theatre & Dance Department in the Fall of 2019. He supported two other BFA degrees that are now offered in the department: Production & Design and Musical Theatre.
Hayter completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2005 at Northwestern State. Hayter has been a registered nurse since 2005. She worked at the Willis Knighton Health Center (2005- 2009) as a clinic nurse, serving patients from a variety of clinics including internal medicine, family practice, oncology, pain management, women’s health, pediatrics, urology and endocrinology. Hayter completed her Master of Science (MSN) in Adult Health Nursing Education in 2009 from NSU. She began teaching at NSU as an adjunct faculty member from 2009 to 2011. Hayter became a full-time assistant professor in nursing in 2011.
During her time at NSU, Hayter has taught in the BSN, ASN, and RN to BSN nursing programs. She has also served as the nursing continuing education coordinator and the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s accredited provider program director for NSU Nursing since 2012. Hayter became a tenured faculty member in 2017. She teaches primarily in the BSN program working with first-level students in health assessment and fundamental nursing. Hayter spends most of her time in the skills lab teaching hands-on nursing skills and assessments.
Jones, DNP, RN, has been a practicing Registered Nurse since December 2010. Her clinical background includes med/surg, telemetry, women’s health, pediatrics and behavioral medicine.
Jones joined Northwestern State in October 2016 and has worked primarily with first level ASN students. She currently works with second level ASN students and with LPN/Medic transition students. She teaches Dosage Calculation online in both the ASN and BSN programs. She has also worked with various levels of BSN students at NSU. Dr.
Jones is an active member of the National League for Nursing, American Nurses Association, Louisiana State Nurses Association, Shreveport District Nurses Association, Organization for Associate Degree Nursing, and the Beta Chi Chapter of Sigma. Jones serves as Health Policy Chair for SDNA and participates on the LSNA Health Policy Committee.
Jones completed her Associate of Science at Bossier Parish Community College in 2008, her Bachelor of Science of Nursing at NSU College of Nursing in 2010, Masters in Adult-Gerontology Nursing at NSU College of Nursing in 2016 and graduated in August 2022 with a terminal degree in nursing – DNP in Organizational Leadership at NSU College of Nursing.
Marzoughi earned his bachelor’s degree in theoretical economics from Shiraz University in Shiraz, Iran, and his master’s degree in economics from the Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, Iran. After coming to the United States, he entered the doctorate program in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness at Louisiana State University and received his doctoral degree in August 2009. After working on a project at LSU for 18 months, he returned to school and received a Master of Science in Analytics from LSU in 2013. He started his second doctoral program in 2013 in Business Administration with emphasis on business analytics at LSU and received his second doctoral degree in August 2020. Marzoughi has been working at Northwestern State since 2017.
His research interests are biofuel, big data analytics, human trafficking and statistical modeling. His teaching interests include data analytics, statistical methods, macroeconomics, microeconomics and international trade. Marzoughi is teaching courses in macroeconomics and microeconomics.
Mayeux has over 35 years of critical care nursing experience with much of her background in adult critical care. She also has vast experience in leadership, management and education in the hospital setting. Currently she maintains her bedside skills as a Trauma ICU nurse. Mayeux received her Ph.D. in 2019 from William Carey University in Nursing Education and Administration. In 2011, she received her M.S.N. in Nursing Education from the University of Louisiana in Lafayette. Her B.S.N. was obtained in 1986 from Louisiana College. She has been teaching nursing on the collegiate level since 2008. Her research interest includes identifying evidenced base practices which assist the nursing student with ADHD in being successful in nursing school.
Sanders is the Department Head of Music for the School of Creative and Performing Arts and teaches voice and vocal pedagogy. She holds degrees from Emmanuel College (A.A. Music Education), Lee University (BA-Music Performance), Northwestern State University (M.M. Music), and the University of Southern Mississippi (Ed.D. Educational Research and Higher Ed. Leadership).
Sanders is an active performer and lecturer and has presented at regional and international conferences on techniques for vocal health. As a Certified McClosky Voice Technician and Master Teacher, she has taught certification courses in the McClosky Technique throughout the United States and the Philippines. Dr. Sanders is an active member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and is the Louisiana District Governor for that organization. She has served in sacred worship ministry for over 30 years as a collaborative pianist. Sanders currently holds the Prince Endowed Professorship for Voice.
