As we move through the semester, I want to express my gratitude for your dedication to our students and the mission of Northwestern State University. Our campus continues to be a hub of activity, and I am excited to share some of the highlights from the past week.

Educators Rising
On February 12, Northwestern hosted the 2025 Regional Educators Rising Conference at the Teacher Education Center. Educators Rising is a national membership organization dedicated to supporting aspiring educators and their mentors. I had the pleasure of attending the conference, which brought together over 150 middle and high school students, along with their club sponsors, for a day of competitions and professional development sessions. The conference provided an invaluable opportunity for attendees to connect with peers and education professionals, reinforcing their commitment to the teaching profession. This marks the fifth year of the conference at NSU, and we are excited to continue supporting the development of future educators. Special thanks to NSU Educators Rising club sponsor Kristen Walker Authement for her hard work in organizing this impactful event.

Congressman Cleo Fields District Swearing-In Ceremony
On Monday, I had the privilege of attending the district swearing-in ceremony for Congressman Cleo Fields. Congressman Fields has been elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for the 6th Congressional District, which includes Northwestern and a significant part of our university’s footprint. I have known Congressman Fields for many years and appreciate his dedication to education and public service. We look forward to working with him to advance the interests of NSU and higher education across our region.

Leadership in the Age of AI Forum discussion on Billy West Live
On Monday evening, I joined Billy West to tape a special edition of his podcast, Billy West Live, where we discussed the upcoming Leadership in the Age of AI Forum featuring world-renowned experts Dr. Julian Bailes, Dr. Neilank Jha, and Monty Chicola. The event will be held on Wednesday, March 19, at 5:30 pm, in Magale Recital Hall and is open to the public. The forum will be an exciting opportunity to engage in conversations about the role of artificial intelligence in education, business, and society. Special thanks to Billy for his role in the development of this exciting event. To listen to the podcast, click here. For more information on Leadership in the Age of AI, including a link to register for the event, click here.

Artificial Intelligence Microcredential
As we continue to incorporate Artificial Intelligence into our curriculum and program offerings, I am pleased to share the launch of the Empowering AI Literacy Microcredential, now available to students across the University of Louisiana System. Designed to enhance AI literacy, the free self-paced program covers ethical AI use, data privacy, and AI’s societal impact, providing students with essential skills for the future. Faculty can integrate its content into courses or participate themselves. The program consists of five units, each offering interactive activities, video lectures, and practical assessments, with students earning digital badges upon completion. The microcredential is self-enrolling via Moodle and serves as a valuable resource for equipping students with critical digital literacy and AI knowledge. More details can be found here.

Lafayette Recruiting Reception
On Tuesday evening, Martha and I joined our recruiting team for the Lafayette Recruiting Reception. I continue to be impressed by the quality of students attending our recruiting events this spring. It was a great experience engaging with parents and prospective students, and discussing the opportunities available at NSU. Special thanks to Emily Miller and our recruiting staff for their hard work and dedication in organizing these impactful events.

Bass Fishing Team
On Friday, I had lunch with members of the NSU Bass Fishing Team. This team has experienced significant success in competitions, representing our university at the highest levels. It was a pleasure getting to know these students and hearing about their experiences, including the challenges and strategies involved in competitive fishing. Their discipline, teamwork, and passion for the sport have led to remarkable achievements, and they continue to raise NSU’s profile in national collegiate bass fishing competitions. I was particularly impressed by their commitment to balancing academics and a demanding travel schedule, a testament to their dedication and time management skills. Their hard work brings great pride to NSU, and we look forward to supporting them in future tournaments.

Athletics Update
Our basketball teams are in the stretch run of the Southland Conference race. Both our men’s and women’s Basketball teams qualified for the upcoming Southland Conference Tournaments in Lake Charles and are aiming to improve their seeding with wins closing out the regular season. On Saturday, our teams swept a doubleheader at UNO. After our men’s team visits Southeastern on Monday night, the remaining games for each team will be home games here in Prather Coliseum, beginning with the women’s team playing Thursday at 6:30 pm. On Saturday, both the men’s and the women’s teams will be playing, followed by a men’s contest on March 3.

Our track and field teams tuned up for the March 2-3 Southland Conference Indoor Championships with an extensive collection of personal and season bests Friday at the LSU Twilight indoor meet in Baton Rouge. Our Demon women are two-time defending SLC Indoor champions and will contend for a third straight title, while our men’s team should also be in the mix.

The Demon baseball team is home Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 6:00 pm for non-conference games before beginning the conference season next weekend at Southeastern. The Demons dropped a three-game series this weekend at 24th-ranked Troy (Ala.), including coming out on the short end of a 14-12 slugfest Saturday.

In softball, new head coach Jenny Fuller has the youngest team in the country, and predictably, the program is in a rebuilding stage. The Demons play host to ULM Wednesday evening at 6:00 pm, then travel to play five games next weekend at Mississippi State’s Bulldog Invitational.

Our Lady Demons tennis team has recently been mostly sidelined by rainy weather. Southland Conference play begins Friday at UNO. Our Lady Demons will then play Sunday at Nicholls.

As always, thank you for your hard work and commitment to our students and the continued success of NSU. Your efforts are making a difference every day.

Fork ‘Em Demons,

President James T. “Jimmy” Genovese
Northwestern State University