I hope your semester is off to a strong start. It has been an energizing week at Northwestern State University, filled with opportunities to engage our alumni and supporters, highlight academic innovation, and celebrate the success of our students and athletics programs.

Demons on the Road

This past week, I joined alumni, friends, athletic supporters, prospective students, and parents for Demons on the Road tour stops in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Lake Charles. I am pleased to report an excellent turnout at each event, with clear excitement surrounding Northwestern State’s momentum and future. These gatherings provided meaningful opportunities for alumni to connect with prospective students and families and to share how their experiences at Northwestern laid the foundation for personal and professional success. My sincere thanks to the Office of Alumni and Development for coordinating these events in collaboration with the Office of Recruiting and the Athletics Department. I look forward to attending additional stops in the weeks ahead and encourage you to attend events in your area when possible. For a full listing of upcoming Demons on the Road events, click here.

NSU Showcases ARGO Capabilities at LACD Annual Meeting

At the Louisiana Association of Conservation Districts (LACD) Annual Meeting last week, Travis Mitchell and Adelaide Soileau of Northwestern State University’s Advanced Remote Geospatial Operations Lab highlighted the transformative role of emerging drone technology in forestry and agriculture, demonstrating how advanced UAS applications enhance monitoring, mapping, and data-informed land management. These efforts underscore the ARGO Lab’s technical capabilities and the strength of its partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, while continuing to provide services at no cost to farmers, landowners, and partners across Louisiana. I commend Mr. Mitchell and Ms. Soileau for their leadership and for representing Northwestern State with distinction while expanding the reach and impact of our ARGO program statewide.

SWEPCO Investment Expands Hands-On STEM Learning at NSU

The School of STEM recently received a $5,000.00 contribution from Southwestern Electric Power Company through the SWEPCO Foundation to support STEM outreach across north Louisiana. This gift will help fund hands-on learning experiences, including N-Side STEM Day for high school juniors and seniors, as well as the purchase of reusable STEM edutainment kits for future outreach events. This partnership was made possible through the efforts of Northwestern State University’s Office of Economic Development, which works to connect the university with business and industry partners to advance workforce-aligned education and community impact. We extend our sincere thanks to SWEPCO and Michael Corbin, SWEPCO External Affairs Manager, whose support strengthens access to engaging science and engineering activities, sparks student curiosity, and builds pathways to high-demand STEM careers.

Demon Spirit on Display at Nationals

Two of Northwestern State University’s spirit teams represented NSU with pride this week as the NSU Cheer and NSU Pom Line competed at Nationals in Orlando, Florida. Both teams performed with outstanding energy, precision, and teamwork, exemplifying the Demon spirit at the highest level.

NSU Cheer earned a second-place finish overall at Nationals in Division I Gameday Cheer and will compete in the World Cup tonight, while the NSU Pom Line returned to Nationals for the first time in several years and delivered a strong performance with zero deductions from the judges. Please join me in congratulating our student-athletes, NSU Cheer coaches Amy Dodson and Tre Jackson, NSU Pom coach Raegan Washington, and everyone who helped make this memorable experience possible.

CAPA Hall of Fame Inductees

Congratulations to Christopher Brown of Newark, Texas, Sherman Desselle of Houston, and Mark Poole of Little Elm, Texas, who have been selected as the 2025–26 inductees into the Dear School of Creative and Performing Arts Hall of Fame at NSU. Brown is a nationally recognized sports artist and the official artist for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, celebrated for capturing the emotion and movement of athletic competition. Desselle is an award-winning journalist and television anchor whose artistic foundation at NSU helped shape a distinguished career in broadcast journalism. Poole is a highly respected music educator and conductor whose ensembles have earned numerous state and national honors and who credits his graduate studies at NSU as instrumental to his success. Please join us for the NSU Wind Symphony concert on Saturday, March 7, where the inductees will be honored, followed by a reception celebrating their achievements.

Baseball Auction

On Saturday evening, Martha and I attended the annual Baseball Auction. Coach Bertrand, his coaching staff, and our student-athletes hosted an outstanding event that successfully raised funds to support the program. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the success of the evening. The energy in the room reflected the pride and enthusiasm surrounding Demon Baseball. Along with continued competitive success, 47 team members combined to post a composite 3.49 grade point average during the fall semester.

Coach Jenny Fuller and the Lady Demon softball program will host their annual dinner and auction this Saturday evening at Riverside Reserve. It promises to be a wonderful event as we meet the revitalized team she and her staff have built during the offseason. For more information, click here.

Athletics Update

College basketball games are 40 minutes long, and every second mattered for our Demons last week. On Monday, the men erased a 14-point deficit and scored four points in the final 13 seconds, securing a 64–63 win over UT Rio Grande Valley in Prather Coliseum on a free throw with 1.4 seconds remaining. Saturday in San Antonio, the scales balanced when UIW overcame a 13-point NSU lead and won 76–74 on free throws in the final second.

The Lady Demons earned a 67–57 road win Thursday at Houston Christian, but fell 66–53 Saturday at UIW. Both teams return home Saturday for a doubleheader against East Texas A&M-Commerce, beginning at 1 p.m. with the women’s game.

The indoor track and field season opened this weekend at Texas Tech with many high-caliber performances by Northwestern competitors. Most notably, both the men’s and women’s 4×400-meter relay teams set school records. Sophomore Will Achee ran a leg on the men’s relay a day after breaking the NSU record individually in the 400-meter dash.

The reigning Southland Conference champion Lady Demon tennis team opened its spring season in Baton Rouge, falling to fifth-ranked LSU and then defeating Xavier.

As always, thank you for the work you do each day to support our students and advance the mission of Northwestern State University. I am grateful for your continued dedication and commitment as we move forward together this spring. The university will be closed tomorrow in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and will reopen with classes resuming on Tuesday.

Fork Em’ Demons,

President James T. “Jimmy” Genovese
Northwestern State University