NEWS RELEASE

Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

7/28/2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES -Northwestern State University is scheduled to receive $800,000 in matching funds to complete a $1 million endowed chair and five $100,000 endowed professorships. The matching funds are provided by the Louisiana Educational Quality Support Fund and supplemental appropriations by the Louisiana Legislature.

A match of $600,000 will go toward The Charles Ragus (Founder of Advocare International) Family Endowed Chair in Business. Matches of $40,000 will be awarded to the Barry Smiley Professorship in Marketing; the Karl and Linda Moore Endowed Professorship in Business; the Roy O. Martin Endowed Professorship in Computer Information Systems; the Thomas E. Stewart Professorship in Education and the Willis-Knighton Healthcare System Endowed Professorship in Nursing.

"We are grateful to the donors who recognized the quality academic programs at Northwestern and were willing to help continue moving this university forward along with legislators who made additional matching funds available," said NSU President Dr. Randall J. Webb. "The availability of endowed chairs and professorships allows Northwestern to attract and retain outstanding faculty and enhances the university's reputation."

The endowed chairs were created with gifts of $400,000, which were matched with $600,000 from the Louisiana Educational Quality Support Fund. Interest from the endowment will be used to attract or retain a nationally recognized scholar.

The endowed professorships were created with $60,000 in donations then matched by the state to create a $100,000 endowed professorship. Interest generated by the endowment will fund faculty research and development along with needed equipment.

NSU's College of Business will receive the Ragus Endowed Chair in addition to three endowed professorships.

"I express my highest gratitude to the Ragus family, the family and friends of the late Barry Smiley, Karl and Linda Moore, and the Roy O. Martin family for their generous support of the College of Business," said Dr. Stephen Elliott, acting dean of the College of Business. "The endowed chair and professorships provide an on-going annual cash inflow to the College of Business to support faculty research and publications.

"Publications and scholarly activity are necessary elements to maintain the prestigious AACSB International accreditation. Through this financial support, the College of Business will be able to enhance our national reputation for excellence. With the endowed chair and three new endowed professorships, the College of Business is poised for greater achievements in the future and provide students with a world class education. "

NSU has three endowed chairs and 33 endowed professorships with pledges for five additional professorships.

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