Shelby County Today

On the eve of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s centennial, three Stephen F. Austin State University graduate students, accompanied by a team of undergraduate research assistants, are traveling the state to collect visitor data at 64 of Texas’ 90 state parks. This information, accompanied by a more in-depth electronic visitor survey, will provide the agency with a better perspective of visitor demographics and recreational trends, as well as how the agency can best serve the public moving forward. Pictured left to right are SFA students Amy Garcia, Jacie Anderson, Alexandria Castro, Olivia Perkins, Rachel Bjerkaas and Neptune Gainer.

February 17, 2022 — Each year, more than 8 million people visit the 90 state parks, historic sites and natural areas managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. In order to continue to meet the needs of visitors and offer relevant programming that reaches all Texans, the agency seeks to better understand exactly who these guests are and what motivates them to visit. Three Stephen F. Austin State University graduate students are crisscrossing the state to find out.

“We are collecting information regarding visitor use in roughly two-thirds of the parks throughout the state,” said Mark Risinger, Master of Science in resource communications student. “This includes demographics, frequency of use and activities the visitors pursued during their stay.”

In December, Rachel Bjerkaas, also a resource communications graduate student, led a group of undergraduate research assistants to West Texas where they conducted surveys at Franklin Mountains, Davis Mountains, Balmorhea and Monahans Sandhills state parks. While some of the survey data, such as visitor count and documented recreational activities, is collected without directly interacting with park patrons, further information regarding park use and visitor perceptions is gleaned through direct conversations.

“Speaking with visitors is one of my favorite parts of this project,” Bjerkaas said. “I love listening to them and understanding what some of their most memorable experiences are.”

Bjerkaas, who earned a Bachelor of Science in environmental science from SFA, said this is one of the very reasons she chose to pursue a graduate degree.

“I wanted the opportunity to help others understand the importance of nature and environmental issues,” Bjerkaas said. “Pursuing a graduate degree in resource communications allows me to spend my time working with people in the beautiful outdoor places around us.”

As most Texans can attest, seasonality greatly affects which parks are visited and the activities guests enjoy. For example, during the summer, Texas state park patrons are often advised to avoid hiking during certain hours due to the threat of heat exhaustion. Conversely, many visitors flock to Texas to escape harsh winters.

“South Texas parks will see a number of snowbirds that visit during the winter,” said Cam Rojas, resource communications graduate student. “In order to quantify the seasonality change of parks, we’ll survey 30 select parks over summer, fall and spring.”

Following these in-park surveys, a second, more comprehensive online survey will be distributed to individuals present on the Texas State Parks’ email list.

While the subsequent results of these surveys are invaluable for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Dr. Pat Stephens Williams, SFA professor of human dimensions of natural resources and project advisor, feels that the student growth taking place is the true asset.

“As we have progressed, we have recognized the individual strengths of each graduate student as they coordinate and lead the teams in data collection,” Stephens Williams said. “Some of the undergraduate students have absolutely blossomed in the field, and it has shown us how we can help improve and guide students in the future.”

In addition to supporting student growth, Stephens Williams notes that the project illustrates the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. Dr. Ray Darville, chair of SFA’s Department of Anthropology, Geography and Sociology, serves as co-principal investigator for this and other research projects within the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture.  

This undertaking precedes the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and it reflects the agencies dedication to serving all Texans.

“We’re always trying to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment, so having a strong understanding of our visitors, their backgrounds and their needs helps turn us into a stronger organization with better programming,” said David Kurtenbach, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department program director for business management. “We say it all the time — Texas State Parks are for everyone, and we want to create the type of environment where everyone feels that parks are a part of their life.”

Story by Sarah Fuller, outreach coordinator for Stephen F. Austin State University’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture. Contact information: (936) 468-1185 or fullersa@sfasu.edu.

The SFA Percussion Ensemble will present its TMEA concert program in a preview performance at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 4, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.
(Click image for larger version.)

January 25, 2022 - The Percussion Ensemble at Stephen F. Austin State University has been invited to perform at this year’s Texas Music Educators Association convention slated for Feb. 9 through 12 in San Antonio. Representing more than 17,000 current and future music educator members, TMEA works to support the future of music education in Texas.

The ensemble’s TMEA program will be presented in a preview concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 4, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus. The recital features works by Joe W. Moore, Francisco Perez, Andrea Venet and Andy Akiho. The Percussion Ensemble is directed by Dr. Brad Meyer, director of percussion studies at SFA, with Dr. Jamie Vilseck, the ensemble’s coach.

Written in 2018, Moore’s “Ojo” was inspired by Latin folklore with a goal of keeping the audience engaged with quick passages, rhythmic variety, timbre changes, and movements transitioning between instruments, giving the performers "ojo" (meaning “evil eye”) because “there is no other option but to watch and listen intently,” according to Moore.

“Ephemera” was inspired by the Lamar University students of Perez during the past two years of the pandemic. “After almost two years without composing any original music for percussion, witnessing the grit and hard work from my students at Lamar University over the course of the eventful 2020-2021 year inspired me to write this short but deeply meaningful piece for mallet sextet,” he wrote.

Venet’s “Omnes Trio,” Latin for “Trio for All,” was written as an expression to promote equality within the percussion field, according to the composer. “With homogeneous instrumentation and a shared set-up, the piece is characterized by hocketed rhythmic lines, trading grooves between players, and soloistic passages that create rapidly flowing textures and quasi-melodic lines,” Venet wrote.

Akiho’s “to wALk Or ruN in wEst harlem” was originally written for chamber ensemble (flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, vibes and drums) and premiered at the 2008 Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival. Akiho said 2008 was one of the most influential and fortunate years of his life, but it began “hilariously tumultuous.”

“Within the span of 48 hours, I carelessly threw myself into multiple ridiculously unfortunate New York City situations – illegally parking my car under a suspicious overpass only to find it completely trashed and inoperable after being broken into; nearly slicing my thumb off cutting carrots with an ironically dull knife; and being attacked and stabbed by a gang while cluelessly walking home from the Manhattan School of Music after a late-night practice session,” he wrote. “This seven-minute composition depicts that particular evening expressed as a nonlinear soundtrack: escaping the attack, following the perpetrators in a taxi, trying to convince the apathetic cops to help me find the suspects, and the hospital monitor beeps of the emergency room are some of the themes in the music narration. Balancing out the NYC karma later that year, I found an old upright piano on the same corner where I was attacked. With the help of a friendly bystander, I pushed the piano up the hill to my apartment and composed this piece on it.”

Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. To purchase tickets, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit finearts.sfasu.edu. For additional information, contact the SFA School of Music at (936) 468-4602.

December 9, 2021 - Gerald W. “Jerry” Schlief, Stephen F. Austin State University alumnus and president and CEO of Auterra Energy LLC, will offer the commencement addresses during the university’s three graduation ceremonies Saturday.

Schlief received a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and served as an innovative leader in the independent oil and gas industry in Houston. He has served on the SFASU Foundation Board of Trustees since 2008 and currently serves as chair.

Schlief and his wife, Candy, were inducted into the Stephen F. Austin Society in 2006 for their generous giving to the university, including funds to support the Gerald W. Schlief School of Accountancy in perpetuity, as well as the Gerald and Candace Schlief Tennis Complex, and the Gerald and Candy Schlief Lobby in the McGee Business Building.

Graduates and their guests must present tickets to enter Johnson Coliseum for commencement. Tickets are free and will help university officials ensure the venue is not overcrowded. Each graduation candidate will be allotted one ticket for themselves and a maximum of 10 guest tickets.

Candidates from the Rusche College of Business, the Department of Education Studies, and May and August 2020 graduates will participate in a 9 a.m. ceremony.

Candidates from the Department of Human Services and Educational Leadership, the School of Human Sciences, the College of Fine Arts, and the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture will participate in a noon ceremony.

Candidates from the Department of Kinesiology and Health Science, the College of Liberal and Applied Arts, and the College of Sciences and Mathematics will participate in a 3 p.m. ceremony.

Degrees to be awarded include 903 bachelor’s, 157 master’s and four doctoral degrees. Approximately 334 students will graduate with honors, including 105 cum laude, 96 magna cum laude and 132 summa cum laude. Thirty-one students will graduate with the university scholar designation.

The ceremony will be livestreamed on the SFA Facebook page, facebook.com/sfasu. For more information, visit sfasu.edu/commencement.

December 7, 2021 — The Stephen F. Austin State University educator preparation program has earned a seven-year national accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.

“Simply put, this accreditation is quality assurance through external peer review,” said Dr. Christina Sinclair, SFA associate dean of assessment and accountability. “When an institution or specialized program is accredited by CAEP, it has demonstrated it meets standards set forth by organizations representing the academic community, professionals and other stakeholders. To maintain accreditation, the institution or program must undergo a similar review on a regular basis, typically every seven to 10 years.”

Several benchmarks must be reached in order to receive accreditation, including annual reporting, a self-study process, formative review and visit to the campus by the CAEP review team.

CAEP is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, which affirms the standards and processes of the accrediting organization are consistent with the academic quality, improvement and accountability expectations CHEA has established, including the eligibility standard that the majority of institutions or programs each accredits are degree granting.

“Accreditation by CAEP provides a framework that has pushed educator preparations programs to continually self-assess and conduct evidence-based analysis of their programs and efficacy,” Sinclair said. “These evidence-based shifts, rooted in continuous improvement, are helping ensure preparation programs like SFA’s are more likely to produce successful educators.”

Sinclair points out that accreditation matters to a broad audience, including:

• P-12 learners – Outcomes-based evidence means all learners are at the center of determining effectiveness as educators.
• Teacher educators – Since the process is infused with research and development, the knowledge base of effective practice will grow.
• State education agencies – Provides a stronger partner for quality assurance, helps connect the national consensus on preparation to state-level policy and provides support for a state’s own authorization/accountability system.
• Education professionals – Rigorous standards elevate the profession.

“Educator accreditation by CAEP is a seal of approval that assures quality in educator preparation. Accreditation ensures educator programs prepare new teachers to know their subjects, their students and have the clinical training that allows them to enter the classroom ready to effectively teach,” Sinclair said.

For more information about SFA’s educator preparation program, visit sfasu.edu/coe/student-resources/educator-preparation.