Q&A with Dr. J

I am from Opelousas, Louisiana.
 

I actually do, and the reason why is Natchitoches reminds me of Opelousas minus the college. It reminds me of home in a way. I don’t mind living in a small town.

I did not get my Ph.D. to teach. I never wanted to be a teacher, it just happened. After getting my Ph.D. it was hard to find a job in industry. The only jobs available were teaching jobs. My first job was not with LSMSA; it was with a college. That one year of teaching at a community college really taught me how to teach, and I figured would like to teach at a high school where the kids loved to learn. After that I found out there was a job at LSMSA. The rest is history.

I will finish my 12th year this year. My current title is Lecturer of Biology.
 

In the fall, I will serve as Interim Director of Academic Affairs.
 

I feel that I can take the institutional knowledge that I’ve gained as a teacher at LSMSA and implement it into Academic Affairs. With my experience as serving as a faculty representative to the board of directors and with my experience from being the director of EXCEL, I feel that I bring a multifaceted approach to Academic Affairs. 

Yes; I plan to do my best and serve the other administrators, faculty, staff, and students as a whole.
  

As a teacher who understands the amount of resources that are available to all students who get accepted into LSMSA, I would say a resounding yes.
  

Go to office hours is number one. I will tell students from the perspective of Interim Director of Academic Affairs that you will make mistakes and that’s okay. It's all about if we learn from those mistakes. Find your trusted adults on campus and don’t be afraid to try new things.