NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University is welcoming 32 new faculty for the 2023-24 academic year, according to Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Greg Handel.
Jasmine Wise joins the faculty in the School of Social Sciences and Applied Programs.
Ngacha S. Njeri joins the faculty in the College of Business and Technology.
Joining the faculty in the College of Nursing and School of Allied Health are Larry Arant, Sarah Barnes, Linda Stringfield, Misty Couvillion, Ava Miller, Sarah Crow, Katrina Seymore, Chelsea McCullin, Lisa Lee, Michelle Gibson, Ellen Grappe, Kevin Aycock, Larissa Scott Koll and Christie Rawlings,
The Dear School of Creative and Performing Arts welcomes new faculty Jonathan Clayton, John McBride, Stephen Clark, Jennifer Pulling, Ben Herrick, Will Sawyer and Sloane Artis,
New faculty in the Department of English, Languages, and Cultural Studies are Victoria Krista Jenkins. Shea Montgomery, and Oona Zbitkovskis,
Damien Tristant is a new member of the faculty in the Department of Physical Science.
Robert Page is a new faculty member in the Louisiana Scholars’ College.
New faculty in the Gallaspy College of Education and Human Development are Sunggun Jeon, Erick Kigen and Dylan Solice
Randolph Hoffpauir is a new member of the faculty in the Department of Social Work.
Here is a brief profile of Northwestern State’s new faculty members
Name: Larry Arant, MSRS
Final degree earned including the institution: Master of Science in Radiologic Sciences, Northwestern State University
Subjects you will be teaching this year: ALHE 4610 Healthcare Quality, ALHE 4630 Healthcare Management, and RADS 3820 Radiographic Procedures.
Why are you glad to me a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? I am pursuing my third degree from Northwestern State University. NSU has been good to me and assisted me throughout my educational journey. I am happy to be a part of the NSU team because now I can give back to the community what NSU has so graciously given to me…an opportunity.
Name: Dr. Sloane J. Artis
Final degree earned including the institution: Doctorate of Musical Arts – University of California Santa Barbara
Subjects you will be teaching this year: Musical Theatre Performance, Theory & Sight Singing, Voice Class, Voice Lessons, Music Director of “The Wedding Singer” and “Goosebumps”
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? I am excited to join the faculty of Northwestern State’s Theatre and Dance and CAPA programs. The faculty is world class, and I am excited to work alongside them as we build and form the next generation of arts professionals. The students are incredibly talented and I am honored to be a part of their NSU story.
Name: Sarah Barnes MBA, RT (R)(CT)
Final degree earned including the institution: MBA, LSU-Shreveport
Subjects you will be teaching this year: ALHE 3840 Advanced Patient Care/Assessment, ALHE 4230 Health Informatics, RADS 3820 Radiographic Positioning I, RADS 4530 Radiation Protection & Biologic Responses
Why are you glad to me a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? I am glad to be a part of my Alma Mater. I graduated from NSU in 2009. I love that my old teachers are now my coworkers. I feel as if I am learning from them all over again and I am glad to be here.
Name: Stephen Clark
Final degree earned including the institution: Doctorate of Musical Arts – University of Alabama
Subjects you will be teaching this year: flute major study, flute minor study, woodwind ensemble, pedagogy, flute recital/graduate recital, special problems, performance document.
Why are you glad to me a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? It was clear from the first moment I set foot on the campus, Northwestern State is a vibrant, happy, inclusive and busy place full of faculty and students that are enthusiastic, welcoming and excited about what they are doing. I am delighted to be here and I’m looking forward to the upcoming academic year.
Name: Michelle J. Gibson, MSN,RN
Final degree earned including the institution: Masters of Science in Nursing, McNeese State University, 1993
Subjects you will be teaching this year: ASN Program, 3rd Level
Why are you glad to me a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? I want to continue to promote nursing at this time by being a part of the education of new nurses in our local community. I feel that my knowledge and vast experience in nursing will be an asset as I continue to educate future nurses. I feel Northwestern State University is the best option for nursing education in our area.
Name: Randolph Hoffpauir
Final degree earned including the institution: Master of Social Work (MSW), Delaware State University.
Subjects you will be teaching this year: Four sections of SOWK 4190 (Field Work) and one section of SOWK 4050 (Preparation for Marriage and Family Life).
Why are you glad to me a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? I graduated from NSULA with a BA in Sociology in 1984. I love the university and the town of Natchitoches. Also, the team in the Department of Social Work has been very welcoming; they are dedicated professionals who always seek the best for their students.
Name: Victoria Krista Jenkins
Final degree earned including the institution: MA – Writing & Linguistics, Northwestern State University
Subjects you will be teaching this year: composition & rhetoric, introduction to literature, contemporary horror
Why are you glad to me a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? Growing up in Natchitoches, Northwestern has always been a part of my life, but it is also a part of my family. My grandfather, Paul Keyser, retired from Northwestern (Department of Media & Journalism) when I was very young, and I remember how much he loved this University and this town. Northwestern is an amazing place to work with a long tradition of serving our students as well as our community. I look forward to working here and continuing to build on that tradition for many years to come.
Name: Sunggun Jeon
Final degree earned including the institution:
Doctor of Philosophy in Health and Human Performance at Oklahoma State University.
Subjects you will be teaching this year: HP 3560 – Physiology of Exercise, HED 4600 – Drug and Alcohol Education, HED 5470 – Evaluation and Exercise Prescription in Health Promotion
Why are you glad to me a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? I am interested in exercise science, especially neuromuscular physiology, and would like to collaborate with the athletic department. The Department of Health and Human Performance is closely related to the athletics department. It makes me happy to have many opportunities to study with the athletic department.
Name: Erick Kigen
Final degree earned including the institution: Ph.D. in Health and Human Performance/Exercise Science from Middle Tennessee State University.
Subjects you will be teaching this year: HP 4170: Test Evaluation & Exercise Prescription, HP 3560: Exercise Physiology, HED 1010: CPR-AED
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? I am glad to be a faculty member of the Health and Human Performance department at NSU because of the comradery among the administrators, staff, colleagues, students, and other associates of this great university. My values as an educator align with NSU’s mission of being student-centered and creating partnerships with the community around the campus. I appreciate the great support from my department chair, Dr. Tara-Tietjen-Smith, new faculty orientation team (Demonizers), and the wonderful leadership of NSU’s president, Dr. Marcus Jones. Finally, I am proud to learn
Name: Lisa Lee, MSN, APRN, FNP-C
Final degree earned including the institution: Master of Science in Nursing (Northwestern State University-Spring 2019)
Subjects you will be teaching this year: NURG 5840 Role of the Nurse Practitioner in Business, NURG 5770 FNP 1, NURG 5700 Methods of Clinical Nursing Assessment, NURA 1510 Application of the Nursing Process I (ASN level 1 clinical)
Why are you glad to me a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? I started and ended my student career with Northwestern State University, and I have always had a tremendous respect and sincere gratefulness to my past instructors for all that they poured into me. I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to now be able to do that for future nurses and nurse practitioners. I am also incredibly thankful to have the opportunity to be mentored in this role by the same individuals who prepared me for my career in nursing and as a nurse practitioner.
Name: John McBride
Final degree earned including the institution: MFA in Dance – Hollins University
Subjects you will be teaching this year: modern dance, jazz dance, ballet, senior seminar
Why are you glad to me a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? Joining NSU as a faculty member means joining a tight knit community. The talent and knowledge that I am surrounded by is inspiring as an instructor, researcher, mentor and creator.
Name: Shea Montgomery
Final degree earned including the institution: MFA in Writing from The Vermont College of Fine Arts.
Subjects you will be teaching this year: Intro to Literature and Intro to Creative Writing.
Why are you glad to me a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? I am glad to be a member of the NSU faculty as this will allow me to branch out more with the classes I can offer students. This opportunity will open up many more options for students in the Creative Writing program!
Name: Njeri Simon Ngacha, PhD, OFS.
Final degree earned including the institution: PhD in Project Planning and Management, from the University of Nairobi, Kenya.
Subjects you will be teaching this year: Cis 3100.01N-Information systems and Tech. In Business, CIS 4840.01I-Strategic Information Systems, CIS 5450.01I-Strategic Information Systems, MGT 4840.01I-Strategic Information Systems, CIS 4030.01I-Web Applications: Client Side
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? I am inspired by NSU’s three core focus areas of research, teaching, and community service. The three academic foundational gemstones resonate well with my vision as an academic and I find them befitting for me to exercise the space, skills and talents to achieve them in line with serving our students, faculty and community.
Name: Robert Page
Final degree earned including the institution: Ph.D. in Biology, University of Kentucky
Subjects you will be teaching this year: Honors Biology I, Honors Biology Laboratory I, Theis Research—Scientific Inquiry, Honors Biology II, Honors Biology Laboratory II, SBIO 3880 OR SBIO 4810 (TBD by student opinion poll, Thesis—Scientific Inquiry
Why are you glad to me a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? I am glad to be a member of NSU’s faculty because the institution’s student-centered focus on providing a quality education at an affordable price resonates with me. Moreover, I am excited by the opportunities that my new position presents to mentor students in preprofessional studies and biological research, and I am drawn to the helpful and friendly atmosphere that I encountered on campus during and since my on-site interview.
Name: Dr. Jennifer Pulling
Final degree earned including the institution: Ph.D. in Music Education from Louisiana State University
Subjects you will be teaching this year: Elementary music methods, band literature for schools, foundations of music education
Why are you glad to me a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? NSU provides me the opportunity to work with outstanding future music teachers and an excellent group of music professors. I love the welcoming, positive and professional atmosphere at NSU and look forward to being a part of it.
Name: Katrina Seymore
Final degree earned including the institution: Master of Science in Nursing from Galen College of Nursing
Subjects you will be teaching this year: NURA 1100 Introduction to Nursing, NURA 1110 Introduction to Nursing Skills, and NURA 1160 Methods Medication and Dosage Calculations
Why are you glad to me a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? The nursing program is the best program in the state. I know my workmates and feel comfortable even as a new faculty member. I am excited to pour into students at an organization that truly seems to care about its students.
Name: Dr. Dylan G. Solice
Final degree earned including the institution: Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Management, Capella University,
Subjects you will be teaching this year: courses in educational leadership, adult Learning and development and education.
Why are you glad to me a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? I am so elated to be able to return home to my alma mater and serve in academia. I have a passion for leadership and development and am blessed to be able to reach larger populations of individuals and groups in the field through teaching, research, and service. NSU offers a family-style vibe that is fitting for me—I feel right at home!
Name: Dr. Damien Tristant
Final degree earned including the institution: Ph.D. in nanophysics, Institut National des Sciences Appliquées, Toulouse, France.
Subjects you will be teaching this year: Physics I and II, which comprise comprehensive lecture and laboratory courses.
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? At Northwestern State University, I have the privilege to impact essential physics knowledge through comprehensive courses, involving students coming from diverse backgrounds in impactful research endeavors, and advancing science education. The university’s diverse scientific community, encompassing disciplines such as biology, chemistry, math and engineering, enhances my experience. Additionally, the opportunity to address local scientific challenges within Louisiana and Natchitoches, coupled with active participation in the STEM program, further enriches my experience in both education and research.
Name: Jasmine Wise, PhD
Final degree earned including the institution: PhD in Sociology from Baylor University
Subjects you will be teaching this year: sociology and criminology
Why are you glad to me a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? Being from Louisiana, I was eager to come back to my home state. I am most excited to work with students and help shape the Black Studies Program.
