SFA University
February 4, 2021 — Celebrations honoring Black History Month, held annually each February, may be especially poignant this year as Americans continue to process the racial unrest that escalated throughout 2020. Staff members in Stephen F. Austin State University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) hope to unpack some of those events as they discuss Black history and culture during the annual Black History Month Celebration.
“The events that occurred this past year will definitely carry weight during our program as we seek to inform students who may not fully understand their significance,” said DaQuan Allen, OMA student ambassador. “Our speakers will give their unique perspectives on Black History and how we have overcome adversity on campus, in the community and in the country, allowing others to gain a more knowledgeable understanding of the weight of these movements and provide ways to get involved.”
Three guest speakers will present during the celebration, including SFA alumnus Dennis Hagan, SFA student leader Gabrielle Harris and Nacogdoches community member G.W. Neal.
“This year’s Black History Month program is titled ‘From Lemons to Lemonade’ and is aimed at highlighting the perseverance the Black community has displayed throughout history,” said Lauren Roach, OMA student ambassador. “We believe it is important that OMA honors Black History Month because of the significant contributions that Black/African-American people have provided not only to America but to the world. We would like to give Black History Month the recognition it deserves by honoring the historical figures of the past and highlighting the leaders of today.”
The program also will include various performing arts, such as singing, dancing and poetry.
“Participants should expect to have a great time enjoying the display of African-American history and gain insight on how this history continues to remain impactful and inspirational for the present and future,” Roach added.
The Black History Month program begins at 6pm on February 23 in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Grand Ballroom on the SFA campus as well as virtually via Zoom.
There is no entry fee. Seating is limited for in-person attendance, and the event dress code is business casual. Masks and physical distancing also will be enforced.
The deadline to register for either the in-person or Zoom event is February 19.
For information or to register, visit sfasu.edu/oma.
January 22, 2021 - The Stephen F. Austin State University Office of Multicultural Affairs’ seventh annual Diversity Conference will examine diversity, equity and inclusion in the years ahead with the theme “Diversity in the New Decade: Defining the New Normal.”
“As our institution and community continue to embrace diversity and create an inclusive environment, it is important for us to focus on what diversity will look like in the new decade,” said Jalon Berry, OMA assistant director.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s conference will be held via Zoom. Through the virtual conference, the OMA aims to spread diversity and inclusion on the SFA campus and within the Nacogdoches community by inviting speakers to present diversity-related information and experiences to conference attendees.
“With recent events, the world as we have known it has changed, and we have to adapt,” Berry said. “As a result, we want to ensure that all conference attendees are able to take away vital information and tips that will assist with their intentionality to embrace diversity, be equitable and promote inclusiveness.”
This year’s luncheon keynote speaker is Dr. Griselda Flores, director for Student Life at Harford Community College. The closing keynote speaker is Nicanor “Nick” Pesina Jr., JD, SFA alumnus and trial attorney with Roberts and Roberts in Tyler.
Throughout the day, presenters will host 15 sessions, including the following, on Zoom:
- Why Diversity Matters in College: COVID Edition
- New Faculty Spotlight: Equity and Social Justice in SFA’s Department of Education Studies
- Learning from HSI Success Stories: Opportunities for Implementation at SFA
- A Closer Look at Mental Health Resources for Students at SFA
- Effective Solutions for Student Wellness
The seventh annual Diversity Conference will be held from 9am to 4pm Friday, Feb. 12. It is free and open to the public. To register to attend via Zoom, visit sfasu.edu/oma.
For more information, contact OMA at oma@sfasu.edu or (936) 468-1073.
January 14, 2021 - Spring semester ticket sales for Stephen F. Austin State University’s student-run Culinary Café and Lumberjack Express mobile food lab will open at 8am Friday, Jan.15, with service on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning Feb. 16.
Patrons must follow the COVID-19 drive-thru and walk-up procedures. Physical distancing will be required, and seating is limited on the Education Annex building’s patio.
For pickup orders, a server will ask you to verify your name and order quantity. If you’re picking up meals for other reservation holders, have all names available. Your meal will include bottled water and utensils.
The Culinary Café, a fine-dining restaurant, will be open from noon to 1pm. Drive-thru meals can be picked up in the Education Annex building’s drive-thru portico located at 1620 Raguet St. For walk-up service, pick up your meals at the purple tent in front of the Education Annex’s north entrance.
Lumberjack Express, a quick-service food truck, will be open from 11am to 12:30pm. Pick up orders at the Lumberjack Express by Education Annex Parking Lot No. 15 on campus. Reservations are highly recommended, but walk-up orders can be purchased with credit card only. Each meal is $8, and only 60 meals will be sold.
Despite COVID-19’s effects on the restaurant business, hospitality administration students working in the Culinary Café and Lumberjack Express were able to prepare delicious meals while gaining hands-on experience during the fall semester because of the support from the Nacogdoches and SFA communities.
“We couldn’t have made it through the fall without their help,” said Dr. Chay Runnels, professor of hospitality administration and interim director of SFA’s School of Human Sciences. “Their support helped our students gain real-world experience and achieve numbers comparable to those we saw before the pandemic hit even with our scaled-back schedules.”
Culinary Café served 762 meals in the fall despite a reduced campus population and one less week of service. The café usually serves around 925 meals a semester. Lumberjack Express served 713 meals during the fall, including two private events. The mobile food lab usually serves around 750 meals each semester.
Construction on the future location of Culinary Café at 1401 Mound St., previously the home of former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, also continues this semester. The $1.5 million renovation will preserve the 1920 home’s historic nature and add a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen and prep area to give students experience working in a more realistic fine-dining restaurant setting.
The first phase of construction for the kitchen and prep area is scheduled to be complete by early spring.
View menus and purchase tickets at sfasu.edu/culinary café and sfasu.edu/lumberjackexpress. For more information, call (936) 468-4502. To learn more about SFA’s hospitality administration program, visit sfasu.edu/hospitality.
Spring semester ticket sales for Stephen F. Austin State University’s student-run Culinary Café and Lumberjack Express mobile food lab open at 8am Friday, Jan.15, with service on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning Feb. 16.
January 11, 2021 - Classes at Stephen F. Austin State University will resume and offices will reopen at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 12. The SFA Charter School and Early Childhood Laboratory also will open at 11 a.m.
According to Dr. Scott Gordon, SFA president, the decision to cancel early morning classes was made with the safety of faculty, staff members and students in mind.
“A later opening should allow time for temperatures to rise above freezing and melt any ice on the roadways,” he said.
The university asks that faculty, staff and students exercise extreme caution if traveling overnight or early in the morning. The National Weather Service is forecasting widespread freezing fog that will cover the roadways with a layer of ice, and roads that are still wet will freeze during the overnight hours. Temperatures will drop to the mid-20s and not reach above freezing until approximately 9 a.m Tuesday.
SFA’s Physical Plant has applied gravel to the bridges on campus, and high-traffic walkways and building entrances have been treated with ice-melting substances to assist in keeping the campus safe.
For more information, contact the University Police Department at (936) 468-2608.
Stephen F. Austin State University students enjoy the wintry weather conditions on campus Sunday, Jan. 10. Classes for Monday have been canceled.
January 10, 2021 — Due to the snowfall in the East Texas area and expectations for continued freezing temperatures, Stephen F. Austin State University classes and all campus activities scheduled for Monday, Jan. 11, have been canceled. SFA’s Early Childhood Laboratory and Charter School also will be closed.
The SFA administration and University Police Department will continue to closely monitor weather conditions that will impact East Texas, according to Dr. Scott Gordon, SFA president. Additional weather-related announcements will be posted on the SFA website and Facebook page.
Current SFA students, faculty and staff were notified of the closure via Jack Alert, the university’s emergency messaging system.
All essential SFA staff members, including UPD officers, are to report for duty as scheduled.
For more information, visit www.sfasu.edu.
January 8, 2021 - In its continued efforts to seek new avenues for reducing barriers to higher education, Stephen F. Austin State University has unveiled a new program aimed at recognizing high-achieving SFA undergraduates by fast tracking them into a graduate program of their choice.
Created through the Office of Research and Graduate Studies, Axe-celerated Admission allows faculty members to nominate standout students once a year in the spring for VIP admission into a graduate program of their choice at SFA.
“The program is meant to encourage great SFA undergraduate students to continue their advanced education by enrolling in a graduate program at SFA,” said Dr. Pauline M. Sampson, dean of the SFA Office of Research and Graduate Studies. “The program will benefit students by easing their application process and allow them to register earlier. It also will recognize students for their outstanding work as the nomination alone is a prestigious acknowledgment.”
Nomination allows students to bypass proof of a bachelor’s degree as well as offers
- early admission to an SFA graduate program of their choice
- early registration
- and reduction of the required three letters of recommendation to just one, written by the nominator.
The inaugural nomination period will open Feb. 1 and close March 1.
“We want to let students know about their nomination and acceptance prior to spring break each year so they have more time to best prepare for entry into a graduate program,” Sampson said. “We are excited to recognize our great undergraduate students and encourage them to continue their outstanding work for a master’s degree with professors who already know them.”
As of now, there are no limits to the number of students a faculty member can recommend. Coordinators will assess initial reception and use of the program and will consider implementation of a limit in the future.
For more information, visit the Axe-celerated Admission website at sfasu.edu/axe-celerated.
January 4, 2021 - Stephen F. Austin State University has named a new vice president for student affairs.
Dr. Brandon Frye, who currently serves as associate vice president for academic engagement and student affairs at the University of West Florida, will join the SFA staff on Feb. 4 and will lead the student affairs division, which comprises student programs and services, including housing, student engagement, counseling and wellness.
After conducting a national search for the position, Dr. Scott Gordon, SFA president, said Frye’s 20 years of student affairs experience will be essential in advancing SFA’s mission and supporting student engagement, health, wellness and retention.
“Dr. Frye will serve as an advocate for students,” Gordon said. “He will be charged with developing and facilitating high-quality programs and services and effective business practices that support student learning and post-college success.”
Frye will provide direct leadership for departments across campus that are designed to attract potential students, enhance student development, promote retention and enrich the educational experience for all students.
The hire comes at a pivotal moment in SFA’s history, Gordon said, as the university prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary while strategically managing the currently disruptive higher education environment.
“The work ahead will require a strategic framework for student success and community engagement that provides a fully integrated student experience,” Gordon said. “We look forward to collaborating with Dr. Frye and the student affairs team in providing transformational experiences that support, engage and empower students to succeed.”
At the University of West Florida, Frye also serves as dean of students and deputy Title IX coordinator and manages a $14.5 million budget. In 2019, he played an executive-level role in developing UWF’s Division of Academic Engagement and Student Affairs and also provided leadership for $2.1 million in construction and enhancement projects for the University Commons facility.
Frye provided leadership in developing and implementing the university’s COVID-19 response and return-to-campus plan for students. Additionally, he serves as an affiliate instructor for the Master of Education program in College Student Affairs Administration.
Previously, Frye provided institutional leadership in areas including student development, crisis response, diversity programming and student conduct at Auburn University from 2010 through 2013 and aided in student success and engagement efforts while working in student conduct and fraternity and sorority life programs at the University of Georgia from 2001 until 2010.
In addition to serving as vice president of the board of directors for Pike University, the leadership and educational curriculum foundation for the Pi Kappa Alpha international fraternity, Frye is the university delegate for the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators.
Frye said he was drawn to SFA because of its strategic plan and focus on creating transformational student experiences.
“I am excited about joining the Stephen F. Austin team, and I look forward to working collaboratively with faculty, staff, students, and community stakeholders to enhance student development, engagement, well-being, belonging, success, and post-college employment,” he said. “Dr. Gordon’s values, passion, and commitment to student success aligned well with my educational philosophy and vision for student affairs.”
Frye received his doctorate in student affairs administration from the University of Georgia, as well as a master’s degree in student development and a bachelor’s degree in history and secondary education from Appalachian State University. He participated in an educational management symposium at Harvard University in 2019.
Frye will replace Dr. Steve Westbrook, who retired from SFA in December 2020.
December 23, 2020 - Despite the challenges of 2020, many community members have stepped up through various acts of service to help their family, friends and neighbors. In order to help better meet the needs of individuals near and far, Stephen F. Austin State University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs is encouraging students to participate in its MLK Day of Service in Nacogdoches or virtually in their local communities.
“Due to social distancing regulations, we want to provide virtual students with a way to still participate in this important day,” said Star Jackson, OMA student ambassador. “Even though we can’t all be together, it is heartwarming to know Lumberjacks all over will be serving their community in a special way.”
Locally, OMA has partnered with 16 different agencies to complete projects, including SFA’s The Pantry and Appleby Community Farm, Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful, Nacogdoches Master Gardener’s Demonstration Garden and Millard’s Crossing Historic Village. Students also will complete projects for individual Nacogdoches residents.
The annual event will take place Jan. 18, 2021. Check-in will begin at 8:30am. Dr. Kofi Smith, president and CEO of Atlanta Airlines Terminal Company, will deliver the keynote speech at 9am Students who participate in the MLK Day of Service in Nacogdoches will receive a free lunch, and T-shirts will be provided to all volunteers who complete their assigned projects.
Nacogdoches community members are encouraged to submit project proposals by Jan. 8. Past projects have included painting, landscaping and cleaning. Projects will be assigned to students on the day of the event.
The OMA also is inviting SFA faculty and staff and Nacogdoches community members to serve as site mentors who will work alongside students to complete projects. Site mentors are encouraged to share leadership advice and help educate students about the community. They can sign up to volunteer through Jan. 7 online at sfasu.edu/oma.
MLK Day of Service was initiated to honor the acts of service by the late civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In 1994, MLK Day was designated as a national day of service and is sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change.
“This day is not a day of selfishness, but of selflessness,” Jackson said. “There is truly an opportunity for every member of the community to be involved.”
For more information, contact the Office of Multicultural Affairs at oma@sfasu.edu, or visit sfasu.edu/oma.
December 11, 2020 - The school psychology program at Stephen F. Austin State University has received a nearly $15,000 grant from the Texas Woman’s University Woodcock Institute to research why children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder lose focus specifically during searching activities like a game requiring them to spot missing objects.
“Thank you for allowing us to support your important line of research,” said Dr. David C. Miller, executive director of the research institute, in SFA’s notification letter.
SFA researchers want to determine if eye-tracking technology can differentiate between the reasons why children with ADHD demonstrate attentional deficits during aspects of stimulus processing, such as search, according Dr. Luis Aguerrevere, associate professor and director of the Human Neuroscience Laboratory in the Department of Human Services and Educational Leadership at SFA.
“Specifically, we will test the idea that greater deficits in eye regulation during a game called Spot the Missing Object will correlate with greater ADHD symptomatology,” Aguerrevere said.
Aguerrevere and Dr. Jaime Flowers, an assistant professor of school psychology at SFA, will conduct the research, which has wider implications for determining objective and valid assessments for children with ADHD.
“This research will help streamline the assessment process for ADHD in both schools and clinical settings, saving valuable resources,” Flowers said.
Aguerrevere and Flowers will begin collecting data in January. They hope to recruit 100 children ranging in age from 8 to 11 years old who are in the process of obtaining a comprehensive assessment for ADHD.
“While these children play Spot the Missing Object, we will measure time, accuracy and eye-tracking variables,” Flowers said. “Hopefully, this data will validate the hypothesis that children with ADHD perform differently during the game, which has the potential to become a reliable and valid screener for ADHD.”
The Woodcock Institute awards grants to institutions conducting research that aligns with its mission: the advancement of neurocognitive research and translation of neurocognitive research into practice.
For more information, email Flowers at jaime.flowers@sfasu.edu.
December 8, 2020 - For top graduates from the Stephen F. Austin State University Rusche College of Business, the landing spot of Lufkin is increasingly becoming an option. And while the nightlife and the food scene might not compare to what a young professional would find in Houston or Dallas, the opportunity surely does.
Located on Lufkin’s west loop, one of Angelina County’s largest employers, Lockheed Martin, offers great pay, meaningful work, top-tier benefits, and the chance to be part of one of the largest companies in the world. The international aerospace, defense, arms, security, and advanced technologies company employs 110,000 people globally, and had nearly $60 billion in net sales last year.
The Lufkin facility recently expanded with a 30,000-square-foot building and plans to add more than 100 jobs during the next few years. While Lockheed has been a fixture at SFA career fairs since 2017 – it most recently participated in the Fall Career and Internship Expo in October – and while it’s been known as a destination for engineers, a handful of business alums have joined the company since 2018. It’s a new yet positive trend, one that Dr. Pam Rogers, a professor in the department of Management and Marketing, wants to nurture.
The college, Rogers said, can customize a degree plan with courses that dovetail nicely with a career in advanced manufacturing such as: Operations, Purchasing, Analytics, Supply Chain Management, Project Management, and other electives. For those who take that path, or something similar to it, employment at a place like Lockheed could be the reward.
“They are now looking to the Rusche College of Business for talent – not just engineering students, but business students,” Rogers said. “It’s obvious they’d want the engineering students, but the business students aren’t that obvious.”
Trevor Crittenden was one such student. He enrolled at SFA when he was 25 years old. He was behind with his degree, his career, and even his life. Or so he thought.
That was in fall 2017, after he’d convinced himself to break out of a dead-end job in Longview and reclaim his ambition with an all-in move to Nacogdoches. The goal was simple – take a lot of courses in a short amount of time and get himself back in the game.
He did just that. In two years – with the help of completed prerequisites and a 15-hour summer semester – Crittenden earned his degree in general business and landed a job as a manufacturing planner with Lockheed. In the parlance of operations management, his journey could be described as inputs, transformation, and outputs.
Nowadays, Crittenden, 28, doesn’t think of himself as being behind. And having met his fiancé, Brooke, at the Lufkin location, he considers himself right on time, or even a bit ahead of the pack.
"I needed to dedicate two years of my life for the rest of my life,” he said. “I looked at all the things I could possibly do, and in business there are no limits. The more I put in, the more I’ll get out.”
While Crittenden was in high school, he was in a serious motorcycle accident that left him with major back problems that ultimately derailed his first attempt at a degree in nursing. A series of surgeries, the last of which was successful, left him unable to finish the program, hence the associate degree and a job as a cardiac stress technician in Longview. But even if he had found his health, Crittenden knew there was something bigger out there.
“There wasn’t any growth,” Crittenden said. “I couldn’t move up because I didn’t have a bachelor’s degree.”
And then came SFA and Rusche’s faculty and staff.
"I found my home,” he said. “They would do whatever was in their power to help me succeed.”
Crittenden wrapped up his two-year push through business school with a 3.9 GPA and went to work two days after he graduated in May 2019. For now, Lufkin is a good spot. But Lockheed has a headquarters in Grand Prairie for missiles and fire control, the division in which he currently works. Lockheed also has a facility in Fort Worth.
“I think that’s my end goal,” Crittenden said, referencing a future move to the DFW metroplex.
Dr. Tim Bisping, dean of the business college, sees a long-term, fruitful connection developing between business majors and the blue-chip company that’s employing them: Alums have a quality place to begin their careers while Lockheed can rely on them to do the job they’re hired to do.
“Graduates of the Rusche College of Business are prepared to have an immediate impact on business operations,” Bisping said. “This continuing relationship with Lockheed Martin serves as validation of this, and it represents an outstanding opportunity for both our graduates and the company.”
As Crittenden raced to make up for lost time, a younger classmate of his was busy executing the perfect plan.
Kelsey Bowers Massey knew going into college that she wanted a career in manufacturing, so a degree in business management was the only thing on her academic radar. As a Lufkin native, she was also aware of Lockheed and the opportunities it offered. Between existing Lufkin connections and those she knew she could make at the business college, a place like Lockheed looked like it was well within reach.
“I was one of those students who was anxious to get done and jump into the business world,” Massey said.
If that was her goal, she accomplished it. She was hired as a manufacturing planner four months prior to graduation, starting two days after college was over in December 2019.
But just because she was career-oriented from the beginning didn’t mean she blazed through college without enjoying the experience. She cherishes the hands-on, face-to-face time she had with professors, particularly Rogers and Dr. Matt Lindsey, her advisor.
During her senior year, Massey was also president of the SFA chapter of Delta Delta Delta, one of the largest and oldest sororities in the United States. With about 130 members at SFA, and not to mention the chapter’s finances and its 30-plus officers, Massey had her hands full.
“I learned how a business works,” she said. “It prepared me for a real job. You see everything.”
As a 23-year-old woman looking to make her way in the business world, Massey has a great role model right there at Lockheed. Marillyn A. Hewson, now the executive chairman of the company, was the chairman, president and CEO from January 2014 to June 2020. In 2018, Hewson, who has a bachelor’s in business administration and a master’s in economics, was considered by Forbes to be one of the most powerful women in the world.
“I was pleasantly surprised at how many women work at the Lufkin location,” Massey said. “Having a female CEO has changed the culture at Lockheed Martin.”
Massey is certainly ambitious. In the near future, she plans on returning to school for an MBA, which puts her on the long track for upper management. And since Lockheed has locations in every state and in countries across the world, Lufkin might not be her ultimate destination.
“I’ll never turn down an opportunity,” she said.
Even if she winds up in a major metro with a plumb position and a salary to match, the alma mater will never be far from her thoughts.
“I want to be part of the SFA community,” Massey said.
After his plan for a career in nursing fell through, Trevor Crittenden rebounded with a business degree from Stephen F. Austin State University. He went to work at Lockheed Martin two days after he graduated in May 2019.
Kelsey Bowers Massey always had her eye on a career in manufacturing. She went to work for Lockheed Martin two days after she graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in December 2019.
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