It was a quiet week on campus with our students away for spring break, but certainly not a quiet one in terms of activity. Across our campuses and throughout the state, Northwestern remained engaged and represented in meaningful ways. As we welcome our students back and press through the remainder of the spring semester, I’m pleased to share a few highlights from the past week.

Demon Mathematics Classic
The Department of Mathematics recently hosted the annual Demon Mathematics Classic, a quiz bowl-style competition for high school students. This year’s event welcomed 16 teams from eight regional schools. In the individual competition, 3rd place went to Bryan Chen from LSMSA, 2nd to Wesley Wynn from Caddo Magnet, and 1st to Wesley Maidoh from LSMSA. In the team competition, Natchitoches Central took 3rd, Caddo Magnet earned 2nd, and LSMSA claimed 1st place and the traveling trophy. Many thanks to Sabine State Bank for its continued support of this outstanding academic tradition.

LCTCS Meeting in Leesville
On Monday, I traveled to our Leesville campus to join members of our administration for a meeting with leadership from the Louisiana Community and Technical College System and SOWELA Technical Community College. Discussions focused on partnering to address facility needs and strengthen articulation pathways between our programs. We appreciate their commitment to collaborative efforts that will benefit students in our region.

North Rapides Business & Industry Alliance
On Tuesday, Dr. Greg Handel and I joined our Executive Director of the Cenla Campus, Jason Parks, at the North Rapides Business & Industry Breakfast in Pineville. Governor Jeff Landry delivered remarks as the featured guest speaker, providing updates on industrial growth and economic development in Louisiana. Events like this reinforce the critical role higher education plays in workforce readiness and economic expansion, and we thank Governor Landry for his leadership.

ULS For Our Future Conference
The University of Louisiana System hosted its annual For Our Future Conference last Thursday and Friday, with tracks centered around teaching, research, service, and talent development. This year’s themes included artificial intelligence, access, and skills enhancement. NSU was well represented, with presentations by Drs. Fran Lemoine, Jim Mischler, Nabin Sapkota, and Chris Lyles, as well as our Management and Leadership Institute representatives Qwontice McDowell and Lindsey Vascocu. Congratulations to Matthew Craig, Student Media Coordinator, who received the 2025 Impact Award for Staff Excellence.

Barksdale Air Show
This weekend, NSU participated in the Defenders of Liberty Air Show at Barksdale Air Force Base. Our School of STEM, Office of Economic Development, and NSU Barksdale faculty and staff showcased interactive demonstrations in the Starbase STEM Zone, including drones, coding robots, and hands-on activities. We were proud to help inspire the next generation of innovators in such a dynamic setting.

Athletics Update
The Demon baseball team is red hot and rolling. Northwestern swept visiting Nicholls this weekend, winning by at least four runs each game. The victories raised our record to 18-9 overall and 10-5 in the Southland Conference, fourth in the 12-team standings. Coach Chris Bertrand’s squad has won five in a row and 14 of its last 16 heading into trips to UL Lafayette (Tuesday) and Tulane (Wednesday). We host UTRGV, second in the SLC, in a three-game conference series beginning Friday night.

Our softball team broke through Saturday and won its first SLC game after a string of agonizing late-inning shortfalls. A lesser group might have faltered but cheers for an indomitable spirit and competitiveness to coach Jenny Fuller and her young team, which is also home for a conference series starting Friday with a doubleheader against SFA.

Speaking of SFA, our Lady Demon tennis team carries the lead in the Southland west to Nacogdoches next Saturday to play the Ladyjacks, who are in second in the standings as the regular-season nears its conclusion. Our ladies did not compete this past weekend.

Track and field was very active over three days at the prestigious Texas Relays and the nearby Bobcat Invitational in central Texas, recording an array of personal and season best marks. Their home meet, the Leon Johnson NSU Invitational, is April 11-12 at the Walter P. Ledet Complex.

Spring football practice begins Wednesday after many weeks of strength and conditioning training by nearly 90 players. The first scrimmage is April 12 and the 36th Annual Joe Delaney Bowl spring game is April 26.

Looking Ahead
This Friday, April 4, the Department of New Media, Journalism, and Communication Arts will host a luncheon and awards program to honor alumni Lane Luckie, Valsin Marmillion, and the late Jerry Byrd Sr. as Distinguished Communications Professionals. The celebration will be held in the Student Union Ballroom. For more information, click here.

Thank you for your continued commitment to our students and to the mission of Northwestern. Let’s carry the momentum of this spring into a strong finish for the semester.

Fork ‘Em Demons,

President James T. “Jimmy” Genovese
Northwestern State University