SFA University
Stephen F. Austin State University was awarded a nearly $2 million, four-year grant through the U.S. Department of Education’s Child Care Access Means Parents in School program, a federal initiative designed to help low-income parenting students access affordable childcare and complete their college degrees. Pictured, from left, are Dr. Lauren E. Brewer, associate professor of psychological sciences and co-principal investigator for the grant, and Dr. Heather Olson Beal, professor of education studies and principal investigator for the grant, which will fund SFA’s Jacks Childcare, Academic support, Retention and Economic impact, or Jacks CARE, initiative.
October 2, 2026 - Stephen F. Austin State University was awarded a nearly $2 million grant through the U.S. Department of Education’s Child Care Access Means Parents in School program, a federal initiative designed to help low-income parenting students access affordable childcare and complete their college degrees.
The four-year grant will fund Jacks Childcare, Academic support, Retention and Economic impact, or Jacks CARE. The new initiative is designed to reduce childcare-related barriers to higher education by providing financial assistance, individualized student support and connections to university and community resources.
“For many parenting students, finding affordable childcare that accommodates their class schedules, work responsibilities and family needs is one of the biggest obstacles to completing their degrees,” said Dr. Heather Olson Beal, professor of education studies and principal investigator. “This grant will allow us to help students overcome those barriers while giving them greater flexibility in choosing childcare arrangements that work for their families.”
Jacks CARE will help eligible parenting students access childcare through a network of community providers. The initiative is designed to accommodate a variety of family needs, including care for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children, as well as childcare outside traditional business hours.
Participating students will receive childcare financial assistance based on demonstrated financial need. In addition, Jacks CARE will offer individualized support services, mentoring, workshops and opportunities to connect with other parenting students.
The initiative addresses a significant need at SFA and throughout Deep East Texas, according to Dr. Lauren E. Brewer, associate professor of psychological sciences and co-principal investigator for the grant.
“Through recent efforts to improve the identification of parenting students, SFA has documented at least 361 undergraduate and graduate parenting students,” she said. “Because parenting status historically has been difficult to capture in university records, the actual number is likely higher.”
Brewer said the research for the grant showed parenting students’ needs extend well beyond childcare.
“Many are balancing college coursework, employment and family responsibilities while navigating financial pressures and limited support systems,” she said. “Jacks CARE will allow us to address these interconnected challenges and help students build the support networks they need to succeed.”
The project is designed to serve at least 19 parenting students each semester during its first two years and at least 22 each semester during its final two years. By combining childcare assistance with individualized support, the initiative aims to improve student retention and degree completion.
In addition, Jacks CARE will create opportunities for the broader SFA community to support parenting students. Faculty and staff will be able to serve as mentors, contribute to educational workshops and connect students with university resources. Students and student organizations can participate in outreach, family-friendly events and supervised activities for children. Parenting students also will have opportunities to share their experiences and help shape the program, while campus and community partners will collaborate to strengthen the support network for student families.
Jacks CARE builds on SFA's ongoing efforts to create a more family-friendly campus, including the Family-Friendly SFA Initiative, parenting student resources, a newly installed family-friendly workstation on the first floor of Steen Library, a newly developed student organization called Parenting Jacks and a website featuring pregnant and parenting student resources.
Jacks CARE also builds on SFA’s Data-to-Action for Parenting Students project. Olson Beal and Brewer are members of the Data-to-Action grant team, which received over $100,000 in funding in 2025 from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in partnership with the Urban Institute. That project focuses on better identifying parenting students, understanding their experiences and pinpointing opportunities to strengthen institutional and community support.
For more information about Jacks CARE, email jackscare@sfasu.edu.
Find plants with colorful blooms like this bright Desert Flame daylily at the annual Fabulous Fall Festival Plant Sale hosted by Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens from 9am to 2pm October 10 — rain or shine — at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center.
September 25, 2026 – Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host its annual Fabulous Fall Festival Plant Sale from 9am to 2pm October 10 — rain or shine — at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center in Nacogdoches.
The sale will feature an array of hard-to-find, “Texas tough” plants, including East Texas natives and pollinator-friendly selections. A list of all available plants is posted on the SFA Gardens website.
This popular event helps fund staff salaries and the daily operations of SFA Gardens. The areas under the SFA Gardens umbrella include Mast Arboretum, Pineywoods Native Plant Center, Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden, Gayla Mize Garden, Hinds Park and Kingham Children’s Garden. Visiting the gardens is free, and the trails are open to the public every day from dawn to dusk.
Parking will be available at SFA’s Janice A. Pattillo Early Childhood Research Center, located at 2428 Raguet St. Visitors are encouraged to arrive early and bring a wagon for their plants.
For more information, call (936) 468-4404 or visit sfasu.edu/gardens.
Pictured, from left, are State Rep. Cole Hefner; Ashley Morgan, SFA alumna and director of the Texas Water Development Board; State Rep. Joanne Shofner; State Rep. Trent Ashby; Dr. Neal Weaver, SFA president; Dr. Drew Gholson, associate vice president and executive director of the East Texas Water Institute; Charlie Glover, president and CEO of the T.L.L. Temple Foundation; Hannah Temple, chair of the T.L.L. Temple Foundation Board of Trustees; U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran; and Dr. Michael Simon, president of Angelina College.
September 24, 2026 –– Stephen F. Austin State University, the T.L.L. Temple Foundation and Angelina College today announced the launch of the East Texas Water Institute, a new regional initiative designed to expand the information, expertise and partnerships available to communities as they steward and plan for East Texas’ water resources for generations to come.
Water sustains East Texas communities, supports agriculture and forestry, provides drinking water across the region and shapes the economy and quality of life that make East Texas unique. At the same time, communities are navigating aging infrastructure, changing water needs, workforce shortages, limited technical capacity and gaps in accessible water information.
Housed within SFA’s Center for Applied Research and Rural Innovation, the East Texas Water Institute will serve as a regional hub connecting communities with research, technical expertise, workforce development, public education and partners who can help move important water work forward.
“For generations, SFA has served as the university of East Texas,” said Dr. Neal Weaver, SFA president. “This institute represents the next chapter in that mission — bringing together education, research, innovation and partnerships to ensure that water remains a source of prosperity, resilience and opportunity for generations to come.”
The institute will focus its work across five interconnected areas:
- Water data and measurement — improving access to reliable information about East Texas water resources, including groundwater and aquifer conditions.
- Water education and public awareness — translating complex water information into accessible tools, educational resources and public engagement.
- Applied research and technical assistance — helping communities address infrastructure needs, develop solutions and connect with technical expertise and resources.
- Water workforce — strengthening education and training pathways for the professionals needed to support East Texas water systems and communities.
- Regional coordination — bringing together communities, utilities, water districts, river authorities, state agencies, higher education, landowners and other partners around shared challenges and opportunities.
“Water is a through line connecting nearly every part of East Texas’ future — our health, economy, land and communities,” said Charlie Glover, president and CEO of the T.L.L. Temple Foundation. “A thriving East Texas for all will depend on how well we work together to steward this resource, strengthen regional capacity and ensure communities have the tools and partnerships needed to plan for the future.”
Among its first efforts, the institute will expand regional aquifer measurement and access to groundwater data while developing public and youth education resources focused on East Texas water.
SFA has appointed Dr. Drew Gholson as associate vice president and executive director of the East Texas Water Institute. Gholson brings experience in water resources, agriculture and applied research, and will lead the institute’s development, partnerships and regional work.
“Water challenges rarely fit within a single discipline or jurisdiction,” Gholson said. “Our role is to connect the expertise and resources that already exist across East Texas and help communities put that knowledge to work.”
The T.L.L. Temple Foundation is endowing the institute’s executive director position, making a long-term investment in the leadership and capacity needed to sustain the institute’s work across East Texas.
Angelina College has a long history of responding to the workforce needs of the region, and the East Texas Water Institute is an opportunity to apply that experience to one of the region’s most important challenges, said Dr. Michael Simon, president of Angelina College.
“Working alongside SFA, we will develop education and training pathways that respond directly to the region’s water workforce needs and prepare the skilled professionals who will be essential to maintaining, improving and protecting East Texas’ water systems,” Simon said.
The East Texas Water Institute is designed to be a lasting regional resource, connecting communities with the data, expertise, education and partnerships needed to address water challenges and pursue opportunities across East Texas.
For more information, visit sfasu.edu/etwi.
About Stephen F. Austin State University
Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business; education, humanities, and social sciences; fine arts; forestry and agriculture; health professions; and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 40 academic facilities, nine residence halls and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering more than 120 areas of study. Learn more at sfasu.edu.
(From left, Front row) Program participants and SFA alumni Trinity Forte '22, Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District; Skylar Chunn '23, Lufkin ISD; and Avery Jones '22, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD; (Back row) Tristen Benningfield '24, Nacogdoches ISD, and Olivia Cruse '23, Center ISD.
September 24, 2026 – Several area educators including Center ISD's Olivia Cruse are earning certification to teach computer science at the high school level through Stephen F. Austin State University’s JacksTeach program as part of the Texas Computer Science Pipeline initiative.
Funded through a $10 million appropriation by the Texas Legislature, the initiative addresses the urgent need for more teachers with computer science certification in Texas’ K-12 schools.
Skylar Chunn, an SFA alumna and Lufkin Independent School District computer science teacher participating in the initiative, said the program has been a helpful “refresher” and an opportunity to network with area computer science teachers.
“While the material was built for teachers, the course really allowed me to get an idea of how students could feel coming into a computer science class with no prior knowledge,” Chunn said. “It gave me opportunities to discuss my own personal coding and practice strategies with others, which I can later tell future students. Finally, more than preparing me for the certification, it gave me the chance to work with a network of teachers who want to improve their district for their students, just like me.”
In February 2025, the JacksTeach program was selected as one of 14 hubs in the state to participate in the initiative led by The University of Texas at Austin’s Texas Advanced Computing Center through its nationally recognized WeTeach_CS program. JacksTeach has coordinated the initiative locally to provide training and support to educators, ensuring students have greater access to high-quality computer science education.
Dr. Jane Long, professor and JacksTeach director, received a grant to support the first two years of the initiative at SFA, and said she plans to re-apply for funding to be a certification hub again next year to support at least 10 teachers working toward certification. Seven educators have earned certification so far, and several of the initiative’s participants are SFA and JacksTeach alumni.
"We are very proud to support these teachers who are doing the hard work to earn certification to teach computer science for the benefit of their students here in East Texas,” said Long, who is collaborating with Anne Marie Eubanks, lecturer of computer science at SFA, to prepare the educators for certification.
JacksTeach allows students majoring in biology, chemistry, physics or mathematics to earn a secondary teaching certification alongside their degree — an approach that directly aligns with TXCSP’s mission to upskill teachers in high-need subject areas like computer science. JacksTeach also has pathways for middle school mathematics and science teaching certification.
Teachers interested in joining the initiative can email Long at longjh@sfasu.edu. For more information about SFA’s JacksTeach program, visit sfasu.edu/jacksteach.
September 14, 2026 - Stephen F. Austin State University will honor its 2026 alumni award recipients and SFA Athletics Hall of Fame inductees at 6pm Friday, September 25, at The Fredonia Hotel in Nacogdoches.
“These honorees exemplify the very best of the Lumberjack spirit,” said Craig Turnage, executive director of alumni relations. “Their contributions in their professions, their communities and to SFA demonstrate the legacy of excellence that continues to define our alumni.”
This year’s alumni award honorees are Emily A. Parker, Distinguished Alumni Award; Zachary Taylor, Outstanding Young Alumni Award; and Blake Westmoreland and Tish Wright, Lumberjack Pride Award. The SFA Athletics Hall of Fame inductees are Sanford “Sandy” Miller and Ashley Monteau.
The Lumberjack Legacies ceremony, which is open to the public, will begin at 6pm with a reception followed by the program at 7:30pm. Guests are encouraged to attend in spirited cocktail attire. Tickets are $150 per person or $1,600 for a table of 10. To purchase tickets, visit sfaalumni.com/legacies, email lumberjacklegacies@sfasu.edu or call the Office of Alumni Relations at (936) 468-3407 by September 16.
Distinguished Alumni Award
Emily A. Parker ’70
Parker, of Dallas, earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics and finance with highest honors from SFA in 1970 and a Juris Doctor from Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law with honors in 1973.
After law school, Parker was the first female lawyer hired by Thompson & Knight LLP, now Holland & Knight LLP, and later became the firm’s first female partner. She served as managing partner at the firm from 2012 to 2016 and retired in 2019. Currently, as consulting counsel to the firm and retired senior partner, Parker represents taxpayers in Internal Revenue Service audits and appeals proceedings, state tax audits and hearings, and federal and state tax refund and deficiency litigation. She also advises on federal income tax and Texas tax planning, with experience in taxation of natural resources and partnership and corporate transactions involving the petroleum industry. Parker has represented clients in several precedent-setting cases that decided important industry issues and developed previously unsettled issues of tax law. She also has served as acting chief counsel and deputy chief counsel for the IRS.
Parker is a fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel and the Dallas, Texas and American bar foundations. She also is a member of SMU’s Dedman School of Law Executive Committee. Parker served as chair of the Section of Taxation for the American Bar Association’s Natural Resources Committee and as vice chair of the ABA’s Appointments to Tax Court Committee. She also served as chair of the State Bar of Texas’ Natural Resources Committee and as a council member of its Tax Section.
Parker was the first woman and ninth recipient to be named Outstanding Texas Tax Lawyer by the State Bar of Texas Tax Section. Her many other honors include the Distinguished Service Award from the ABA Tax Section and the SMU Dedman School of Law Distinguished Graduate Award. She also earned multiple entries on Best Lawyers in Dallas, Texas Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America lists as well as two Dallas Tax Lawyer of the Year awards. Parker was part of the Who’s Who of Texas attorneys, with the superlatives of best, outstanding and top-notch.
A native of Henderson, Parker created the Emily A. Parker Scholarship to benefit academically high-achieving students pursuing any major at SFA. She also supports Dallas Court Appointed Special Advocates, the Child Abuse Prevention Center, Easterseals North Texas and Texas Women’s Foundation.
Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Zachary Taylor ’11
Taylor, of Houston, earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in international finance and accounting from SFA in 2011 and pitched for the Lumberjacks baseball team.
As principal and senior vice president at Colliers commercial real estate firm, Taylor specializes in selling and leasing industrial real estate with a particular focus in southeast Houston and other markets along the Gulf Coast. He has experience working with local, national and international clients on their various real estate needs including site selection, tenant representation, building acquisitions/dispositions and build-to-suit projects.
Taylor has worked with industrial users, developers and investors on a variety of transactions totaling more than 3 million square feet of lease/sale transactions and hundreds of acres of land totaling more than $200 million in transaction volume. He has earned Colliers’ Titan Award and Colliers’ Million Dollar Producer Award and is a member of Colliers’ Everest Club.
Taylor is also a member of the Strake Jesuit Alumni Association, Houston Food Bank and Keep Houston Beautiful. He and his wife, Alexandra, have two sons, Owen and Benjamin.
Lumberjack Pride Award
Blake Westmoreland ’94
Westmoreland, of Nacogdoches, earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in finance and management from SFA in 1994. His more than 30 years in leadership roles, mostly in Fortune 500 companies, led to his current role as a general manager at Moore Supply Co., a wholesale distributor of plumbing, HVAC and industrial supplies that operates as a division of Hajoca Corporation.
Westmoreland is a board member for the Nacogdoches Hero Foundation. He also serves as one of the administrators of the “You Know You Went to SFA” Facebook page.
He married another Lumberjack, Julie, who earned her Bachelor of Science in rehabilitation in 1994. They have two grown children, one of whom is an SFA senior.
Tish Wright ’98
Wright, of Friendswood, earned her Bachelor of Science in deaf and hard of hearing from SFA in 1998 and a Master of Science in physical therapy from Texas Woman’s University in 2005.
Since then, Wright has worked as a physical therapist in a variety of settings including pediatrics, orthopedics, home health and assisted living. Initially focused on pediatrics, she later moved into orthopedics working with young athletes and post-surgical patients. A former clinic director and team lead of therapy, Wright currently works with the geriatric population in assisted living and memory care communities. She said hearing their life stories brings her joy.
As a member of Zeta Tau Alpha, Wright serves as an alumnae national officer for District 11 Gamma and as a member of the Theta Eta Chapter 50th Anniversary Celebration Committee.
Wright met her husband, Chris ’97, at SFA in summer 1995. They married in 1999 and have three children, Isabel, Ezra and Abigail, an SFA student. The Wrights travel to Nacogdoches often to walk the campus, check on their tree and visit Abigail.
Wright has cohosted Bay Area alumni socials with Mike Hahn for three years and looks forward to organizing more. She enjoys attending SFA Ballpark Days in Houston and volunteering with the SFA Alumni Association during Showcase Saturday, Houston Alumni Corner and SFA Move-In Day.
SFA Athletics Hall of Fame Inductees
Sanford “Sandy” Miller
Miller, of Nacogdoches, was a former assistant athletic director for sports medicine and former head athletic trainer at SFA. A native of Larned, Kansas, he earned a Bachelor of Science in education from the University of Nebraska and a master's degree from Northwest Missouri State University. Miller’s career began in Pampa as the first athletic trainer for the Pampa Independent School District. Two years later, he returned to Northwest Missouri State University as head athletic trainer.
In 1981, Miller joined SFA as head athletic trainer and would remain a Lumberjack for the rest of his career. During his time in this role, he worked for and with four athletic directors, 32 head coaches and many assistant coaches. Miller always prioritized student-athletes’ health care and athletic training students’ education.
By teaching as a part-time instructor in both the undergraduate kinesiology and graduate athletic training programs while serving as full-time athletic trainer, he helped prepare more than 150 athletic trainers with SFA ties to work in secondary schools, colleges and universities, professional sports, and the clinical setting. In 2012, Miller retired as assistant athletic director for sports medicine and head athletic trainer; however, he was rehired to teach in the graduate athletic training program for another five years. He said preparing future athletic trainers was his passion.
Miller was named to the Southwest Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame in 1999, National Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame in 2002, Texas State Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Honor in 2019 and East Texas Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame in 2021. In addition to being named Southland Conference Athletic Trainer of the Year in 1992, Miller received the NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award in 1999, the Eddie Wojecki Award for Outstanding Contributions to SWATA in 2006 and the SWATA Frank Medina Award in 1992.
Miller also has served his profession in the following capacities: Master of Ceremonies for the SWATA annual awards ceremony, NATA District 6 director of the board of directors, NATA secretary-treasurer, NATA finance committee chair, NATA board of directors vice president, NATA District 5 secretary-treasurer, examiner for the NATA Certification Exam, and Texas Advisory Board of Athletic Trainers member. Miller has also served as volunteer athletic trainer for world track and field events in Birmingham, England, and Göteborg, Sweden. In 1990, he worked the Goodwill Games in Seattle, Washington.
Miller is married to his wife of 53 years, Madalene. They have two sons, Justin and Doug, and six granddaughters.
Ashley Monteau ’08
Monteau, of Anahuac, earned a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology from SFA in 2008. While a member of the SFA women’s cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field teams for four years, she helped earn three team Southland Conference Championships — cross country in 2004 and women’s indoor track and field in both 2006 and 2007. She also earned the following honors:
- Two-time Southland Conference Cross Country Champion, 2004 and 2005
- Southland Conference Female Cross Country Athlete of the Year, 2004
- Southland Conference Outstanding Female Track Performer Indoor, 2006
- Southland Conference Outstanding Female Track Performer Outdoor, 2006
- Five Southland Conference individual championships
o Cross Country, 2004
o Cross Country, 2005
o Indoor 5,000 Meters, 2006
o Outdoor 5,000 Meters, 2006
o Outdoor 10,000 Meters, 2006 - Multiple All-Southland Conference honors
o Cross Country
o Indoor Track
o Outdoor Track - Two-time NCAA Division 1 Cross Country Championships qualifier
o Finished 75th nationally, 2004
o Finished 90th nationally, 2005 - SFA record holder and all-time top performer
o Indoor 5,000 Meters, 2006 (16:47.74)
o Indoor 3,000 Meters, 2006 (9:51.4) - Still ranks among SFA’s all-time best
o No. 5 in the Indoor 3,000 Meters (9:51.10)
o No. 6 in the Outdoor 5,000 Meters (17:00.22)
o No. 10 in the Outdoor 10,000 Meters (36:14.14)
For the past 15 years, Monteau has taught and coached at Timpson, Liberty, Anahuac and, currently, East Chambers independent school districts. Still a marathon and other road race competitor, she has three sons, Jason, Ashton and Colton.
August 5, 2026 - SFA Gardens will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. on August 13th in the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet Street, Nacogdoches, TX 75965. Dr. Greg Grant, will present “Postmortem: The Decline of Post Oaks and an Entire Ecosystem.”
Dr. Greg Grant serves as the Smith County horticulture extension agent with Texas A&M AgriLife. Dr. Grant is an award-winning horticulturist, writer, photographer, conservationist, and a seventh-generation Texan from Arcadia, Texas. He has previously worked as a horticulturist with SFA Gardens, Mercer Arboretum and San Antonio Botanical Gardens, and as an instructor at SFASU and LSU. Dr. Grant will discuss the description, evolution, coverage and plants of the Post Oak savannah in East Texas and the reasons for its decline.
A plant raffle will follow the presentation. Parking is available at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet Street in Nacogdoches or next door at the Raguet Elementary School.
The Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series is held on the second Thursday of every month. Attendance is free, however donations to support the lecture series are gratefully accepted. For more information, email sfagardens@sfasu.edu or call 936-468-4129.
Stephen F. Austin State University has appointed Dr. Dana Solomon as principal and superintendent of SFA Charter School. Solomon will begin her tenure during the summer.
July 9, 2025 - Stephen F. Austin State University has appointed Dr. Dana Solomon as principal and superintendent of SFA Charter School. Solomon will begin her tenure during the summer.
“It is an honor to be named principal of SFA Charter School,” Solomon said. “I believe that every child can engineer a better future when provided a quality education, and I am looking forward to working with our whole SFA community to continue the stellar work of this legendary campus.”
Solomon arrives to this new role following four years as principal of Mike Moses Elementary School in the Nacogdoches Independent School District. Solomon also has served as a principal and assistant principal in the Frisco Independent School District for 12 years, and as a teacher for four years.
Solomon earned a Doctor of Education in educational leadership from the University of North Texas, a Master of Education Administration from Concordia University, and a Bachelor of Arts in interdisciplinary studies from The University of Texas at Dallas.
“We are excited to welcome Dr. Dana Solomon as the principal and superintendent of SFA Charter School,” said Dr. Stacy Hendricks, vice provost for academic affairs. “Her experience, collaborative leadership and dedication to education make her an excellent choice to lead the school into its next chapter while continuing to support high-quality instruction, meaningful student learning and strong partnerships with families and the community.”
Serving the Nacogdoches and SFA communities since its approval by the Texas State Board of Education in 2008, SFA Charter School has focused on improving public education and enhancing the preparation of future educators and school psychologists.
For more information about SFA Charter School, visit sfasu.edu/charterschool.
July 2, 2026 - Panola College is expanding educational opportunities for students with the addition of two new degree programs and a new occupational skills award (OSA), all beginning in the Fall 2026 semester. The new offerings include an Associate of Science in Social Work, an Associate of Science in Mathematics, and a Construction Site Technician OSA.
The new Associate of Science in Social Work is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in social work while offering hands-on experience through an academic cooperative in a social work setting. The program also offers transferable coursework for students planning to continue their education at a four-year institution.
The Associate of Science in Mathematics provides students with the first two years of coursework toward a bachelor's degree in mathematics. The program is designed for students intending to transfer to a four-year institution and pursue a major in mathematics.
Students interested in entering the workforce quickly can also take advantage of the new Construction Site Technician OSA. Designed to be completed in just one semester, the program prepares students for entry-level roles in the construction industry by providing foundational training in safety, site operations, tools, and the workforce skills needed to support construction projects.
“Panola College is committed to providing educational pathways that reflect the evolving needs of our students and our communities,” said Natalie Oswalt, Vice President of Instruction at Panola College. “These new programs expand opportunities for students to pursue meaningful careers or continue their education while helping meet workforce demands across our region. We are excited to welcome our first students into these programs this fall.”
Registration for the Fall 2026 semester is now open, and prospective and returning students are encouraged to schedule an appointment with an academic advisor by visiting www.panola.edu/advising.
Stephen F. Austin State University will host the groundbreaking ceremony for the Arnold Center for Entrepreneurship building at 10:30 a.m. June 22 in front of the Janice A. Pattillo Early Childhood Research Center on campus. This rendering depicts the northwest approach to the future ACE building.
June 17, 2026 - Stephen F. Austin State University will host the groundbreaking ceremony for the Arnold Center for Entrepreneurship building at 10:30 a.m. June 22, 2026 in front of the Janice A. Pattillo Early Childhood Research Center.
Parking available in research center parking lot located at 2428 Raguet Street.
Ashley and Greg Arnold will join representatives from SFA and The University of Texas System as well as state and federal elected officials for the ceremony. Students, faculty, staff and alumni are also expected to attend the event, which is open to the public.
Made possible through the generosity of the Arnold family and support from the UT System and the state of Texas, the center will serve as a hub for innovation, workforce development, applied research and economic growth across East Texas. The two-story, 39,170-square-foot building will offer immersive and flexible spaces tailored to modern entrepreneurial education, including simulated learning environments, dedicated coworking spaces and innovation labs. It also will feature a multipurpose LED volume production studio for collaborative projects and entrepreneurial ventures across SFA’s areas of study. Substantial completion is anticipated by mid-2027.
For more information on the building, visit gosfa.com/ACEceremony. For more information on the center, visit sfasu.edu/ACE.
Submitted by Misty Wilburn
Stephen F. Austin State University is continuing its strong enrollment momentum, with summer 2026 headcount currently up 6% and semester credit hours increasing 7% compared to summer 2025. To apply for summer II and fall courses, visit sfasu.edu/apply.
June 15, 2026 – Stephen F. Austin State University is continuing its strong enrollment momentum, with summer 2026 headcount currently up 6% and semester credit hours increasing 7% compared to summer 2025.
While enrollment remains open and the university's preliminary summer census date is July 9, current trends position SFA for its first summer enrollment increase since 2020 and one of the largest summer enrollment gains in recent university history.
"Students are increasingly choosing SFA because they recognize the value of a degree that combines academic quality, personalized support and strong career outcomes," said Dr. Neal Weaver, SFA president. "These preliminary summer numbers build on the momentum we experienced throughout the past academic year and reflect the confidence students and families have in the direction of this university."
Preliminary data indicate that, in addition to a 6% increase in student headcount, SFA has generated 7% more semester credit hours than last summer. Credit hour production, a key indicator of student engagement, plays an important role in state funding.
According to Dr. Kent Willis, senior vice president for enrollment and student engagement, the increase reflects both student demand and institutional efforts to create flexible pathways to degree completion.
"Summer enrollment provides students with an opportunity to stay on track, accelerate their progress toward graduation and take advantage of flexible course options," Willis said. "We're seeing strong participation from continuing students and transfer students who are using the summer term to move forward academically."
For students like Billy Stewart, a kinesiology junior from Clarksville, the summer session has been a game changer.
“I was able to knock out two core classes online while working part time,” he said. “It’s helping me graduate on time and save money.”
The university continues to offer a wide range of summer II courses, with classes beginning July 6. Students can still register for available undergraduate and graduate courses offered online, in hybrid formats and on campus.
"There is still time for students to enroll in summer II courses," Willis said. "Whether a student wants to complete a core requirement, lighten a future course load or make additional progress toward a degree, there are excellent opportunities available."
The preliminary summer enrollment gains continue SFA's pattern of growth. Earlier this year, the university reported its first spring-to-spring enrollment increase since 2019 and its largest spring enrollment increase since 2010. In fall 2025, SFA welcomed the largest freshman class in university history, and applications and admissions for fall 2026 continue to outpace last year's record-setting levels.
To apply for summer II and fall courses, visit sfasu.edu/apply.
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