Pictured: NSU students in the Advanced Manufacturing Program met with administrators and industry partners during a lunch at the President’s Home Oct. 13. From left are NSU President James Genovese, First Lady Martha Genovese, Dr. Shahriar Hossain, head of the Department of Engineering Technology; Larissa Cameron, NRMC; Jackson Adams, Crest Industries; Patric Finton, ARQ: Phil Rider, NRMC; Christian Potter, Chris Sanders, ARQ; Brayden “Kale” Pullig , Andrew Odom, Craig Casey; Justin Lartigue, Liam Donaghy, Joshua Garcie, Tommy Neubert and Tarkeisha Mackey, Boise Cascade: Laurie Morrow, director of NSU’s Office of Economic Development University Advancement; Dr. Fran Lemoine, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Dr. Chris Lyles, director of the School of STEM; Connie Baker and Kevin Suarez, RoyOMartin, and Gwen Fontenot, director of Corporate and Community Engagement.
NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University’s Office of Economic Development & University Advancement hosted a lunch Oct. 13 for students enrolled in the Advanced Manufacturing Program and the industry partners they will be matched with.
AMP is a pathway for students to obtain a degree while attending classes and working hands-on in a regional manufacturing facility. The program prepares completers for high-paying in-demand jobs in north and central Louisiana by equipping them with skills in manufacturing technology.
The current cohort of students are taking traditional classes the first year with interviews to match with an industry partner in May 2026. They are Liam Donaghy of Diana, Texas; Joshua Garcie of Natchitoches, Justin Lartigue of Lake Charles, Andrew Odom of Natchitoches, Christian Potter of Florien and Brayden “Kale” Pullig of Robeline.
Next summer, students will participate in a full-time paid internship with their selected partner. Next fall, they will work three days per week at the facility and attend classes two days a week. The students will graduate in May 2027 with an associate degree in Engineering Technology with a concentration in advanced manufacturing, plus one year of experience on their resumes. They will also have the option to return to NSU to complete a bachelor’s degree in Engineering Technology.
Monday’s lunch was a pre-onboarding opportunity for the AMP students, administrators and industry partners to get acquainted in advance of next semester’s interviews.
AMP is supported by NSU’s Office of Economic Development University Advancement (https://www.nsula.edu/edio/) and NSU’s Department of Engineering Technology (https://www.nsula.edu/engrtech/.
For information on the AMP program, contact Craig Caskey, AMP coordinator and instructor, at caskeyc@nsula.edu.