Northwestern State University of Louisiana has several female figures in its colleges. Many of these women share their passion for their work, education and helping the next generation of college students.
Out of the five colleges at Northwestern State University of Louisiana, four women are the deans of those colleges. Through hard work and passion for higher education, these women lead the way to inspire and help the next generation of NSU students.
Mary Edith Stacy: Dean of the College of Business and Technology
Stacy is the academic Dean of the College of Business and Technology at NSU. Nearing three years as a dean, she has become a role model of dedication, leadership and success.
Born and raised in Louisiana, Stacy started her career at NSU at the young age of three. She attended the NSU Middle School Lab and attended NSU to get her bachelor’s in accounting and her master’s in sports studies. She attended Louisiana State University to get her doctorate in vocational education.
She has occupied various positions since starting at NSU in 1992 including coordinator of university scholarships in the office of financial aid, director of auxiliary services, director of enrollment management and is an assistant professor of business.
“When you get the call of leadership you take it and that’s one thing you just have to do. When you get those opportunities at any stage in your life and it’s essentially a call of leadership, you take it. You do it and you roll with it,” Stacy said.
Growing up in a predominantly male household, Stacy learned the importance of leadership and how to apply it to her life. This has all led her to where she is today.
“You have to be you, whether you are a man or a woman, you need to be you. You need to be able to stand on your own two feet whatever and wherever that may be,” Stacy said.
Success and leadership can look different for everyone, and it’s important to know who one is and what you can accomplish.
Francene J. Lemoine: Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
Francene J. Lemoine is the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Lemoine has formed part of the faculty in the School of Biological and Physical Sciences since 2006. She was named dean in August 2021.
She attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in biology. She then pursued her doctorate in cell and molecular biology in the College of Medicine in Houston. Following her doctorate, she did two post-doctoral fellowships in the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and transitioned to Duke University Medical Center.
Her career at NSU started with being an assistant professor of biology. Growing up in Cottonport, Louisiana, a small town two hours south of Natchitoches, Lemoine never imagined she would be where she is today.
“I never thought about being a scientist or even a college professor. It wasn’t anything that was on my radar to think that was something that I wanted,” Lemoine said.
With her parents’ support, Lemoine continued her studies and found a passion for biology.
“I was drawn to molecular biology, which is the finest detail of understanding how cells and the body work. I spent most of my academic time interested in figuring out those sorts of things,” Lemoine said.
She explained that being a woman never limited her success or stopped her from achieving her dreams.
“I never really questioned or thought about a particular job being for men or women and I think that’s a testament to my parents who had three daughters and were very supportive to all of our particular dreams and goals,” Lemoine said. “I’m incredibly fortunate to work at a place that I think values a lot of different people. I’m proud to work at a place that is able to recognize and celebrate those things.”
Neeru Deep: Dean of the Gallaspy Family College of Education and Human Development
Neeru Deep is the dean of the Gallaspy Family College of Education and Human Development at NSU.
She has been part of the NSU staff since 2002 and served as the chair of the Department of Psychology this past year.
Deep has always had a passion for education; she earned a bachelor’s in liberal arts, a bachelor’s in education, a master’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in education from Panjab University, India. She also earned her doctorate at NSU in education in adult learning and development.
“My dad used to tell us that if we wanted to improve the education, give education to the kids,” Deep said.
Growing up in India, Deep was influenced to further her education. “Education is the medium to improve everything. So I didn’t feel that being a woman in higher education was rare because I grew up in that area where a woman was the role model in higher education,” she said.
Growing up surrounded by people who valued higher education, Deep knows the importance of education and aims to encourage students to continue pursuing their careers.
“So my advice is if you are in college, keep working hard, if you are thinking about coming to college, you can do it. I am believing in you, just believe in yourself,” Deep said.
Deep’s ultimate advice is to have self-advocacy and to not let others tell you what you can or can’t do.
Aimee Badeaux: Interim Dean of the College of Nursing and School of Allied Health
Aimee Badeaux serves as the interim dean of the College of Nursing and School of Allied Health at NSU.
She joined the NSU staff in 2020 as an associate professor. Before that, she has been a practicing nurse anesthetist since 2007, and in 2009 she left her full-time practice to teach nurse anesthesia to students, according to her faculty profile.
Badeaux completed her Bachelor of Science in nursing at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. She earned her Master of Science in anesthesiology at Our Lady of the Lake College and her doctorate in curriculum and instruction at Louisiana State University.
She is also the first person in Louisiana to receive the Program Director of the Year award. The Program Director of the Year award was established in 1991 to recognize a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) who has made significant contributions as the program director to the educational process of resident nurse anesthesiologists, according to NSU Program director of the year.
Badeaux is also the inaugural program director of the first nurse anesthesia program in north Louisiana.
She is passionate about serving, leading and educating and was among the faculty to earn an Excellence in Teaching Award from NSU in 2022.
“Beyond her responsibilities as NSU’s nurse anesthesia program director, Badeaux is a practicing CRNA at several Louisiana clinics and medical centers. She also serves on AANA’s State Organization Development Committee, acts as the Team Onsite Reviewer for the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, and is an active member on both the Louisiana Association of Nurse Anesthetists and the Louisiana Council of Administrators of Nursing Education,” according to NSU Program director of the year.
With years of leadership, dedication and education, Stacy, Lemoine, Deep and Badeaux pave the way for many students to reach their goals and encourage students to achieve their dreams.
Correction 3/11/25 – This story when written and sent to print previously attributed Neru Deep as interim dean. On March 5, Deep was officially named dean of the Gallapsy Family College of Education and Human Development.
