Department of English, Language, & Cultural Studies - Northwestern State University of Louisiana

At Northwestern State University, we are dedicated to providing rigorous, high-impact programs that build essential skills in reading, writing, research, and communication. Within our inclusive, close-knit community, students collaborate with passionate faculty and peers who are committed to fostering both critical and creative thinking.

Alumni achievements include:

Pushcart Prize nominations for poetry

James Beard Foundation Award-winning cookbooks

Iconic front entrance to the historic Northwestern State University

Leadership roles in business, law, and education

Advisory Council

The Department Advisory Council, a group that was instituted by the state legislature in the Grad Act law, is a group of advisors comprising representatives from academia, business and industry, and the local community. This group serves to help the department to be responsive to the needs of our stakeholders. The council meets once a year to provide feedback and ideas on current departmental issues and future challenges.

Laura (“LeAnne”) Arnold
Digital Librarian, Lightstorm Entertainment (co-founded by James Cameron, director of Titanic and Avatar), Los Angeles, CA. Former Adjunct Instructor of English and former Graduate Assistant of English, NSU. MA English, NSU; Master of Management in Library and Information Science, University of Southern California.

R. Allyce Hill Bailey, J.D.
Richland County, S.C., Magistrate Judge. Former Assistant City Attorney, Columbia, SC. BA English, NSU; Juris Doctorate, Southern University Law School.

Angelin Borsics

Senior Editor, Clarkson Potter (imprint of Random House), New York, NY. Editor, 2015 James Beard Foundation Award winners “The Kitchen Cookbook” and “In Her Kitchen.” BA and MA English, NSU.

Susie Scifres Kuilan Bryant, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Strategic Security and Protection Management, National American University, Rapid City, SD; Brigadier General, U.S. Army Reserve; Commander, 95th Training Division, Fort Sill, Lawton, Oklahoma. Former Instructor of English, NSU. BA and MA English, NSU. Ph.D. English, Louisiana State University.

Lauren Atterbury Cesar
Principal, Grand Lake Elementary School, Grand Lake, LA. 2018-19 Calcasieu Parish Teacher of the Year. Author, multiple volumes in the “Louisiana English Language Arts Guidebook Compatible Workbook” series. BA English, NSU; MA Teaching, Louisiana College.

Jim Crawford
Foreign Language Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Spanish, Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Cultural Studies, NSU. MA Spanish, University of Arkansas-Fayetteville.

Kristen Culver
Adjunct Instructor of English, Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Cultural Studies, NSU. Teaches ENGL 1010 for the Co-Requisite Program and ENGL 1020 for the First-Year Composition Program, NSU. Former Graduate Assistant of English, NSU. MA English, NSU.

Charles (“Mac”) Hamilton
Adjunct Instructor of English, Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Cultural Studies, NSU. Teaches online English courses from St. Louis, MO. MA English and MA Adult Education, NSU; M.F.A. Writing, Lindenwood University.

Donna Johnson, Ed.D.
Assistant Vice President, Academic Advancement and Partnerships, Louisiana Tech University. Oversees the Tech Shreveport Center, the Tech Barksdale Center, and the Academic Success Center. Former Executive Director of Caddo/Bossier Partnerships and Military Outreach and former Adjunct Instructor of English, NSU. MA English, NSU; Doctor of Education, Louisiana Tech University.

W. Charlene LeBrun
Instructor of English, Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Cultural Studies, NSU. Peer Reviewer for the Louisiana Folklife Journal. BA and MA English, NSU.

Katie Magaña, Ph.D., AFHEA
Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Humanities Center, Texas Tech University. Adjunct Instructor of English, Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Cultural Studies, NSU. Former Tutor in English Literature, Victoria University of Wellington (NZ) and former Graduate Assistant of English, NSU. MA English, NSU; Ph.D. English Literature, Victoria University of Wellington.

Jeremy Orgeron
Loan Servicing Specialist IV, Wells Fargo, West Des Moines, Iowa. Works with homeowners to help them to avoid foreclosure and other financial penalties. Former Tutor in French, Foreign Language Resource Center, NSU. BA English, NSU.

Raley Pellittieri
Reporter, The Daily Star newspaper, Hammond, LA. Covers city and parish government and policy, new businesses, and breaking news. BA English, NSU.

Shane Rasmussen, Ph.D.
Director, Louisiana Folklife Center, NSU, Director of the annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival, and Editor, Louisiana Folklife Journal. Professor of Folklore, Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Cultural Studies, NSU. Ph.D. English, University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Thomas Reynolds, Ph.D.
Interim Director, Louisiana Scholars’ College. Associate Professor of Rhetoric and Composition, Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Cultural Studies, NSU. Former Instructor of English and former Graduate Assistant of English, NSU. MA English, NSU; Ph.D. English, University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Ruben E. Smith
Undergraduate student, Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Cultural Studies, NSU.
Circulation Worker, Eugene P. Watson Memorial Library, NSU. Founder and current president of Demon Writers’ Guild; former president of NSU Student Film Society. Major: English; Concentration: Film Studies & Creative Writing. Minor: Professional French Studies. Expected graduation: May 2021.

Vascocu, Scarlett
Administrative Services Coordinator, Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Cultural Studies, NSU. Oversees administrative procedures for the department office and faculty/staff employees and coordinates community outreach programs and events. Associate of General Studies, NSU.