STEM - Northwestern State University

Welcome to the School of STEM

The School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics is composed of five units: the Department of Biology and Microbiology; the Department of Engineering Technology, the Division of Mathematics, the Department of Physical Science, and the Department of Veterinary Technology. Please visit the links below to find out more.

Mission Statement

The School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) at Northwestern State University serves to create a collaborative environment for natural and applied science education that inspires students and faculty to engage in an interdisciplinary approach to developing strong analytical skills in interpersonal communication, critical and creative thinking, research, and data literacy as they become lifelong learners who are prepared for an ever-changing, global STEM community.

Vision Statement

We envision a school where every student is supported, inspired, and prepared to accelerate STEM-related fields for the benefit of society.

FLAME Supplemental Instruction

Need some extra help with your classes? FLAME – Faculty Led Assistance in My Education is a new supplemental instruction initiative to improve student success and retention in courses taught within the School of STEM. This includes classes in biology, chemistry, physics, math, science, and veterinary and engineering technology classes.

During Supplemental Instruction, faculty are available (both in person and virtually) in the Academic Success Center in Watson Library to help students with completing homework assignments, understanding material covered in classes, and preparing/studying for exams.

To learn more about the FLAME Supplemental Instruction, and to find the days and times at which assistance in specific courses can be found, please follow this link: www.nsula.edu/flame/

Your success is important to all of us! Let us help you perform your best in your courses.

Pre-Professional School Advising Committee (PPSAC)

The committee understands the difficulty and anxiety that comes along with completing professional health school applications and preparing for the formal interview. To aid our students, we have established a Pre-Professional School Advising Committee to help you through this process.

Application

Requirements to Apply

Junior year status (If senior or alumni, please contact chair of committee)
3.5 GPA, both overall & science
Evidence of active engagement within the department and their scientific field of interest (e.g. active participation in TriBeta; shadowing medical doctors if applying to medical school)
A professional exam score (i.e. GRE, MCAT, etc.) is required prior to scheduling the mock interview. This is not required if applying to veterinarian programs.

Meeting the minimum requirements to apply does not guarantee acceptance into the committee. Should you require further information, contact PPSAC@nsula.edu.

Application materials include

Transcript
Resume
Personal statement
Contact information for 2 references
Entrance exam scores**(e.g., GRE, MCAT, DAT, etc.)

**Letters of evaluation will not be released until the application is complete including entrance exam scores. Those applying to veterinarian school need not provide entrance exam scores.

What should I expect if accepted into the PPSAC evaluation process?

If accepted by the committee, the committee will schedule an interview with the applicant. Each applicant will be assigned a faculty mentor to provide them with feedback on their application materials and guide them through the professional school application process. Each applicant interview will consist of a minimum of 3 committee members, including the student’s assigned mentor. Following the interview, these committee members will do two things. First, they will provide the applicant with valuable feedback about their interview and other application materials. Second, they will compose a Letter of Evaluation for the applicant, which will be submitted to the applicant’s school of choice. The student will not be allowed to review the Letter of Evaluation.

While the committee is dedicated to making our students stronger candidates, completion of the PPSAC evaluation process does not guarantee entrance into a future professional school.

If a student fails to gain acceptance by the committee, the committee may recommend steps for the student to take in order to strengthen their application. These recommendations may include additional coursework, participation in co-curricular activities, or pursuit of health care-specific experiences.

Important Dates

2022 – 2023

October 15: Deadline for applicants to submit applications to our committee
January 9 – March 10: Mock interviews with accepted applicants
June 5: Release Committee Letter of Evaluation in a sealed envelope or electronic delivery

Members

Dr. Jonathan Akin
Dr. Moftah Ali
Dr. Jerry Brunson
Mr. John Byrd
Mrs. Anna Dugas
Dr. Jennifer Hill
Dr. Bridget Joubert
Dr. Douglas Landry
Dr. Fran Lemoine
Dr. Chris Lyles
Dr. Li Ma
Dr Kaleigh MacQueen
Dr. Samuel Marshall
Dr. Lauren Mitchell
Mr. Kaine O’Neal
Dr. Robert Page
Dr. Daniel Rivera-Vazquez
Dr. Duminda Samarakoon
Dr. Yohaselly Santiago
Dr. Leeann Sticker
Dr. Joseph Straub
Dr. Chad Thibodeaux
Dr. Damien Tristant

Chair of the PPSAC

Dr. Li Ma; email: mal@nsula.edu

Helpful Links

MCAT (for medical schools)
DAT (for dental schools)
GRE (for physical assistant, physical therapy, veterinary, and graduate schools)
PCAT (for pharmacy schools)
OAT (for optometry schools)
Early Decision Program
Guaranteed Admissions Interview Program (VCOM)
Professional Headshots

Student Guides

What is a Pre-Professional School Advising Committee?

The PPSAC is comprised of faculty members who help students achieve their goal of admittance to professional schools. Members of this committee serve prospective professional school students by assisting them throughout their application process. These committees are becoming a necessity at undergraduate universities, as many professional schools preferentially select applicants who are committee sponsored and some schools require committee sponsorship.

Why is a Pre-Professional School Advising Committee important?

When applying to professional schools, admission committees will require that students submit letters of recommendation as part of the application process. At Northwestern State University of Louisiana in the School of STEM, we have established a Pre-Professional School Advising Committee that will evaluate students as an applicant and write a Letter of Evaluation. The goal of the Letter of Evaluation is to help frame students’ experiences, highlight their strengths, and emphasize their readiness for professional school. Pre-Professional School Advising Committees offer a credible advocate for students applying to professional schools, since professional schools view these letters as a more objective assessment of the student’s competitiveness as an applicant. Compared to recommendation letters, the Letter of Evaluation is written at a higher standard of honest evaluation, including a realistic assessment of an applicant’s strengths as well as deficiencies in comparison to successful professionals. The Letter of Evaluation also addresses other qualities of an applicant that are not often discussed in typical reference letters. Since students are required to undergo a mock interview prior to the Letter of Evaluation, the committee can speak to the communication, interpersonal, and professional skills of an applicant at much greater depth than the professor who only experienced a student asking questions during class. These are some of the many reasons committee evaluations are often preferred over standard letters of recommendation.

What does the PPSAC do?

This committee provides various resources for students interested in applying to professional schools. Responsibilities of this committee may include:

Coursework planning and feasible timelines for applying to professional/graduate schools
Connection with nearby hospitals for shadowing and volunteering (Natchitoches Regional Medical Center, Sabine Medical Center, DeSoto Regional Health System)
Revision of resume and personal statement
Mock interviews
Committee evaluation letter

How does the Letter of Evaluation process work?

These committees are not required to write letters for all students applying to professional schools. In fact, they are discouraged from doing so as this can discredit the recommendation of the committee. Students must apply to the committee and be accepted by them in order to receive their support.