NEWS RELEASE

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

3/26/2002

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES- The Northwestern State University Foundation has received a donation of $60,000 from Rapides Regional Medical Center to establish an endowed professorship in radiologic technology. The donation will be matched with $40,000 from the Board of Regents Support Fund.

With the gift, Rapides Regional fulfills a pledge to set up two endowed professorships at NSU.

"We are grateful to Rapides Regional and the work of chief operating officer Cheryl Wilson for helping us obtain this donation," said NSU President Dr. Randall J. Webb. "Northwestern has made its bachelors in radiologic technology available in both Shreveport and Alexandria. We are the only bachelor's program in radiologic technology in the country to offer the degree on two campuses."

Northwestern has one of only 27 bachelors in radiologic technology programs in the United States. The program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology.

"There is a shortage of radiologic technologists and this investment in the College of Nursing and the Radiologic Technology program at Northwestern is an investment in the future," said Wilson. "This will allow Northwestern to provide competent, qualified technologists to serve the need of hospitals and other health care facilities in central Louisiana."

A recent study by the American Hospital Association said that vacancy rates for those in radiologic technology were more than 15 percent. More than half of the hospitals surveyed said filling vacancies has become more difficult over the last three years.

"There is a huge demand for people with degrees in radiologic technology. This donation will help Northwestern meet some of that demand," said James Murrell, program director of the radiologic technology program at NSU. "We are happy that Rapides Regional has agreed to assist us and that they are pleased with the students who have earned degrees from Northwestern in the field."

Murrell says the donation allows NSU to add one faculty position in radiologic technology.

"Our accrediting agency requires that we maintain a 10 to one student-faculty ratio," said Murrell. "Having the second endowed professorship will allow us to expand the program in Alexandria. What we are doing is quite ambitious, but the demand is there."

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the demand for radiologic technologists will continue to grow because of the need for more diagnostic procedures by an aging population. Projections indicate that hospitals will remain the primary employer of radiologic technologists, but a greater number of new jobs will be found in offices and clinics of physicians, including diagnostic imaging centers.

A portion of the interest generated by the endowment each year will be used to fund classroom instruction, faculty research, purchase needed software and hardware and cover needed travel to professional conferences. The remaining portion will be used to build up the endowment. Northwestern has 21 endowed professorships along with a pledge to create a $1,000,000 endowed chair.

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