LSUA Names David Manuel As New Chancellor

Kudos to David Manuel for being named the new Chancellor of Louisiana State University at Alexandria. Manuel arrives in Alexandria from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, where he served as Vice President of Academic Affairs, and by way of the University of Lafayette at Louisiana, where he served as Dean of the School of Business. From today’s article in The Town Talk (bold mine):

During a visit to LSUA earlier this month, Manuel said the school should play an important role in economic growth and development in the area by providing resources that other institutions might not be able to, including an educated work force.

“That needs to be a proactive piece to the mission of the university,” Manuel said. “I’ll never feel any differently about the role of the university.”

….

Manuel is a native of Thibodaux who grew up in Erath.

He earned an associate of arts degree in philosophy from Immaculata Seminary in Lafayette in 1967, a bachelor’s degree in economics from Nicholls State University in 1970, a master’s in economics from the University of Mississippi in 1972 and a Ph.D in economics from the University of Mississippi in 1975.

In the release, Manuel said he sought the LSUA chancellorship after he “sensed a call to return to Louisiana so that I could hopefully contribute to its higher education landscape and to the future of the state.“

Almost every great American city has a great American university, and Manuel seems to recognize the ways in which the health of a university can directly contribute to the health of the entire community. During the past few years, LSUA has turned into a four-year institution, developed a footprint in Downtown Alexandria, and constructed on-campus housing– a remarkable series of accomplishments.

Manuel is stepping into a fantastic job. LSUA has enormous opportunities for growth and is in an incredible position to develop and/or augment schools of film, agricultural science (renewable energy/biofuels), and nursing, to name a few.