Acadiana Native Deshjuana Bagley Named LSUE Dean of Workforce Development and Applied Sciences
September 11, 2026
EUNICE, La. – Louisiana State University Eunice is proud to announce the hiring of Deshjuana Bagley as the Dean of Workforce Development and Applied Sciences. Dean Bagley will lead a newly created third college at LSU Eunice, joining the College of Health Sciences and the College of Arts and Sciences.
Born in Lafayette with grandparents who lived in Eunice and relatives throughout the Acadiana region, Bagley joins the LSU Eunice community after spending more than a decade in both instructional and leadership roles at two-year colleges in the state of Florida.
“Returning to Louisiana for this opportunity is especially meaningful to me,” Dean Deshjuana Bagley said. “I am excited to join LSU Eunice and help shape a college that supports workforce needs, fosters innovation, and creates life-changing opportunities for students across Acadiana and beyond.”
Bagley takes over a newly created college within LSU Eunice, the College of Workforce Development and Applied Science. She is charged with providing academic and strategic leadership for LSUE’s Agriculture, Management, Computer Information Technology, Criminal Justice, and Fire and Emergency Services degree programs, along with new Construction Management and Engineering Technology tracks that are currently in development.
In addition to the associate degree and certificate programs within the college, Bagley will oversee the non-credit Workforce Development and Continuing Education offerings for youth and adult learners.
“We have an opportunity to build an applied education ecosystem that connects students, employers and communities,” Dean Bagley said. “Our goal is not simply to create programs. It is to create pathways into careers and give students opportunities to learn with the technologies, processes and environments they will encounter in the workplace.”
The college will emphasize pathways that allow students to begin with short-term training or an industry-recognized credential and continue toward an associate degree, transfer opportunity or direct entry into the workforce.
“We want LSU Eunice to be a place where a student can begin with a short-term credential, continue into an associate degree and ultimately transfer or move directly into a high-demand career,” Bagley said. “At the same time, we want employers to see LSU Eunice as a partner they can turn to as their workforce needs change.”
Dean Bagley joins the LSU Eunice community from Hillsborough College in Tampa, Florida where she most recently served as Associate Dean of Associate of Science Degree Programs. At Hillsborough, Bagley oversaw the college’s computer science, business, accounting, economics, construction, architecture, and electronics engineering technology programs. She was also the principal investigator for a FIPSE grant that developed an AI Innovation Center at the college.
Prior to Hillsborough, Bagley was the Executive Director of the Advanced Technology Center at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. She was instrumental in the creation of non-credit pathways in software development, cybersecurity, and information technology that led towards Associate of Science degree programs.
“We are fortunate to have someone with the expertise of Dean Bagley to come lead this new college at LSU Eunice,” LSU Eunice Chancellor Dr. Nancee Sorenson said. “Her vision of how we can grow these areas of our institution are exciting and align with our mission of providing cutting edge educational opportunities for the Acadiana area.”
Bagley is also the founder of TechPlayzone®️, an organization focused on hands-on STEM education and has spent more than 20 years coordinating FIRST®️ LEGO®️ League (FLL) robotics from 19 counties in West and Central Florida, earning an international FLL Volunteer of the Year award in 2020.
She holds a master of science degree in Information Technology Management from Western Governors University and a bachelor of science degree in Computer Science from the University of South Florida.