Dr. Paula F. Furr

Growing up in Pineville, La., Dr. Paula Furr never envisioned she would wear combat boots. However, the Army provided her a scholarship to become a second lieutenant in the Women's Army Corps upon graduation in 1973 from Ohio Wesleyan with a double degree in journalism and Spanish. Her original intention was to gain experience and transition into a civilian journalism or public relations position. However, two years became a 21-year military career, including earning her jump wings at airborne school, Fort Benning, Ga. She was awarded an Army fellowship to attend the University of Kansas to complete a master's degree in journalism. She credits her journalism and public speaking education to helping her in varied Army public affairs assignments and her last assignment as the executive officer of the English Department at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point.

Upon her retirement in 1994, she returned with her family to Louisiana and continued to pursue higher education teaching at Louisiana College in Pineville and laterNorthwestern State University (NSU) in Natchitoches. She completed a doctorate at NSU in educational technology leadership and continued to teach there until her retirement in July 2019. While at NSU she led four academic departments and was honored with an Excellence in Teaching Award and a Senior Practitioner by SPRF. She retired as a full professor and department head for New Media, Journalism, andCommunication Arts. This academic year she will serve as the Interim Wise EndowedChair in Journalism. She has many to thank for educating her and their mentorship. She hopes to have likewise helped others pursue their professional goals.