Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Message from the President

Dear Colleagues,

This week I would like to highlight two people that are playing an important role in positively impacting the University of New Orleans by supporting the recruitment and retention and success of our students.

First, while attending Swampball last weekend I had the great pleasure of meeting Gopal Biswas, who is pursuing his MFA in Film Production. Gopal is an international student from Bangladesh who is deeply committed to using the films he produces to inspire young people to pursue their dreams, as well as to bring people together from disparate backgrounds to better recognize our shared humanity. Since he arrived at UNO he has been recording short videos of campus that have been broadcast on YouTube to more than 12K subscribers, emphasizing how welcoming and beautiful our campus is to students from around the world. Here are a few examples:

- Campus Tour 
- 2025 Mardi Gras Parade
- UNO Scholarship Fair

I hope that you will subscribe to Gopal's YouTube channel and join me in thanking him for his tireless dedication to using film and social media to share positive stories about the University of New Orleans to viewers everywhere.

Second, I wanted to thank Father Francis Offia for his dedication to making the Newman Center on campus a welcoming and safe space for students from all backgrounds. Father Francis joined UNO 15 months ago and is originally from Nigeria. While the Newman Center has served practicing Catholics since its inception, Father Francis (and Father Dennis before him) sees its role as integral to creating a "home away from home" that supports students from all backgrounds and faith traditions. Father Francis has also recognized the role that faculty and staff play in supporting our students along their educational journey, and he asked me to share this letter of thanks with you this week.

Gopal Biswas and Francis Uzochukwu Offia have expressed to me their love of New Orleans and the role that UNO plays in educating the minds, as well as the hearts of our students. I firmly believe that both men are actively contributing to our mission through their creativity, dedication, and passion for supporting current and future students. Thank you both.

With UNO Pride,

Kathy E. Johnson, Ph.D. 
President, University of New Orleans