NATCHITOCHES – Dr. Francene Lemoine has been named dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern State University. Her appointment has been approved by the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System.
The College of Arts and Sciences includes the Louisiana Scholars’ College, the School of Biological and Physical Sciences, the Mrs. H.D. Dear Sr. and Alice E. Dear School of Creative and Performing Arts and the Departments of Criminal Justice, History, and Social Sciences, Engineering Technology, English, Foreign Languages, and Cultural Studies and Mathematics.
“The College of Arts and Sciences is a wonderful blend of diverse academic units that seem disconnected or distant from the outside looking in when in actuality, we are a highly collaborative, innovative and creative group,” said Lemoine. “We are the heart of what makes Northwestern State a liberal arts institution. I can’t wait to hone this image and bring the talents and accomplishments of the entire College to a larger stage.”
Lemoine has been a member of the faculty in the School of Biological and Physical Sciences since 2006. She served as Director of the School of Biological and Physical Sciences from 2015–2019 during which time she worked to establish a new degree program in applied microbiology and increased student enrollment by nearly 20 percent creating one of the largest academic units at the University. With the skills honed during her participation the ULS Management and Leadership Institute, Lemoine served as interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences since July 2019.
“Dr. Lemoine is an exemplary leader, and well-respected by her colleagues in Louisiana and beyond,” said Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Greg Handel. “She is a compassionate and caring professional who will positively impact student recruitment, retention, and learning, and will continue to provide stellar leadership for the diverse academic units in the College.”
Lemoine earned a B.S. in biology at the University of Southwestern Louisiana in 1997 and a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology at Baylor College of Medicine in 2002. She was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine from 2000-2005 and at Duke University Medical Center from 2005-2006.
Lemoine has been an active published researcher in the field of microbiology and a leading fund raiser for the School of Biological and Physical Sciences having authored grants and secured private donations for laboratory and classroom enhancements. She has earned teaching and research honors from NSU, UNC-Chapel Hill, Baylor College of Medicine and University of Southwestern Louisiana, now known as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She was honored with NSU’s Excellence in Teaching Award for the College of Science and Technology in 2010.
“I have been blessed with some truly amazing mentors throughout my life and career,” said Lemoine. “These individuals have shown me through their teachings and examples how to become the person and professional that I want to be. I’m honored to now be able to stand on their shoulders and work to help develop the next group of talented faculty, staff and students in the College of Arts and Sciences.”
Lemoine has been awarded a National Institutes of Health research and service grant and was the recipient of a Career Development Award grant from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Foundation. She has authored/co-authored 13 peer-reviewed publications in the areas of virology, cancer biology and genetics including one publication which was highlighted on the cover of the prominent biomedical sciences journal, Cell.
