Published September 21, 2026

CAPTION: Pictured L-R: Dr. Wendy Bailes, Dean of the College of Health Sciences; Tim Doughty, Jr., son of Dr. Emily Doughty; Tim Doughty, Sr., husband of Dr. Emily Doughty; Dr. Carrie L. Castille, ULM President; Dr. Sandy Roncal, Director of the Kitty DeGree School of Nursing 

---

MONROE, La. – The Family and friends of Dr. Emily S. Doughty established an endowed scholarship in her name with a gift of $25,000. The Dr. Emily S. Doughty Memorial Scholarship in Nursing will be awarded annually to students in ULM’s Kitty DeGree School of Nursing who meet the selection criteria. The scholarship was announced during a check presentation ceremony at ULM on August 20, 2026.  

Dr. Emily S. Doughty was a native of Jena, La., and earned her B.S. in Nursing from ULM (then Northeast Louisiana University) in 1976 and joined the nursing faculty at ULM in 1979. She also spent time teaching at Grambling State University. She became an administrator in the School of Nursing in 2003, beginning as a course coordinator and working up to associate director and finally Director of the School of Nursing in 2012. She earned her Ed.D. in 2010 and eventually presided over the school’s name change to the Kitty DeGree School of Nursing. She retired from ULM in 2017 and passed away in February 2026. 

Family and friends of Dr. Doughty gathered in the auditorium in Kitty DeGree Hall to commemorate her impact on the Kitty DeGree School of Nursing and on the nursing profession across Northeast Louisiana.  

“Her tenure here lasted 38 years, but her impact spans generations of nurses and healthcare leaders, beyond her hometown of Jena to here in Monroe. Thank you to the Doughty family for reminding us that compassionate leadership is integral to our university mission,” said ULM President Dr. Carrie L. Castille.  

The Dr. Emily S. Doughty Memorial Scholarship in Nursing will be awarded annually in two installments to eligible students in the Kitty DeGree School of Nursing who apply and meet the minimum requirements, including completion of Semester One and maintaining a 3.0 GPA. Preference will be given to students from LaSalle and Ouachita Parishes.  

Dr. Wendy Bailes, Dean of the ULM College of Health Sciences and former Director of the Kitty DeGree School of Nursing shared personal memories of Dr. Doughty and spoke about keeping her memory alive in the school and carrying on the example that she set.  

“We want students to realize just who she is, and we will carry that charge forward,” said Dr. Bailes. “When they get this scholarship, we want them to know they have a standard to set.”