Shelby County Today

February 22, 2024 — The University of Texas System Board of Regents has unanimously voted to name Neal Weaver, PhD, the sole finalist to become the next president of Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches. Weaver has served as president of Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) — a member of the University of Georgia System based in Americus, Georgia — for the past seven years.

Per state law, the UT Regents now must wait 21 days before officially naming Weaver president. Once approved, he would succeed Interim President Gina Oglesbee to become the 11th president in SFA’s 100-year history and first as a member of the UT System. SFA, which has six colleges that offer more than 80 bachelor’s degree programs, 40 master’s degree programs, and four doctoral degrees that cover more than 120 areas of study, officially became the 14th member institution of the UT System last September.

With an impressive 33-year career in higher education administration across four public university systems, Weaver has demonstrated his leadership prowess at GSW. Under his guidance, the university experienced notable growth in enrollment, student retention and fundraising. GSW’s fall 2023 enrollment of 3,300 marked a historic high for the university and included an 18.5% increase in freshman enrollment, as well as 16.8% increase in graduate enrollment. Additionally, first-year student retention rose by more than 7%, and annual giving to the GSW Foundation more than doubled.

“The Regents met with outstanding candidates, and Dr. Weaver’s ability to lead in a thriving academic environment, coupled with his commitment to innovation and strategic growth, make him an ideal appointment to serve Stephen F. Austin State University as it enters its new era as a UT institution,” said UT System Board Chairman Kevin P. Eltife. “We are grateful for the thorough work of SFA’s presidential search advisory committee and the UT System leadership whose guidance and recommendations helped us arrive at today’s final selection.”

Weaver’s candidacy was recommended to the board of regents by a presidential search advisory committee that was chaired by UT System Chancellor James B. Milliken. The search committee included representation from the SFA faculty, students, alumni and community leaders, as well as UT presidents and regents.

Milliken praised Weaver’s ability to maximize the potential of the institutions he has served throughout his career.

“Dr. Weaver's accomplishments in fostering student success, driving enrollment growth, and spearheading successful fundraising efforts position him to guide Stephen F. Austin State University into new opportunities as a member of the University of Texas System,” Milliken said. “I am pleased with the regents’ unanimous support of his candidacy and appreciate the efforts of everyone that helped us navigate this historic search.”

Before his role at GSW, Weaver served as the vice president for university advancement and innovation at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana. In this capacity, he provided leadership in fundraising, enrollment management and athletics while generating new revenue and improving retention, operating efficiencies and customer service. Weaver's previous roles include vice president for institutional advancement at West Texas A&M University and vice president for university relations at Northeastern State University in Oklahoma.

Weaver earned a doctoral degree in organizational leadership from Oklahoma University, a Master of Business Administration from Southeastern Oklahoma State University, and a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma Panhandle State University. He is a native of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Dr. Neal Weaver was named by The University of Texas System Board of Regents as sole finalist to become the next president of Stephen F. Austin State University.

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, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, 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 37 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.

About the University of Texas System
With 14 institutions that enroll over 256,000 students overall, the UT System is the largest university system in Texas and one of the largest public university systems in the United States. UT institutions produced over 63,000 graduates last year and awarded more than one-third of the undergraduate degrees in Texas, as well as 60% of the state's medical degrees. The combined efforts of UT-owned and affiliated hospitals and clinics resulted in over 10.6 million outpatient visits and more than 2 million hospital days in 2023. UT’s $4.3 billion research enterprise is one of the nation’s most innovative, ranking No. 1 in Texas and No. 2 in the U.S. for federal research expenditures. With an operating budget of $29.1 billion for fiscal year 2024, UT institutions collectively employ more than 122,000 faculty, health care professionals, support staff and students.

February 20, 2024 - Nearly 95% of Stephen F. Austin State University’s May 2023 graduating class reported positive career outcomes within six months of graduation, according to a class-specific survey conducted by the university’s Center for Career and Professional Development, marking a 5% increase from last year’s rate.

The First Destination Survey is used to capture information from SFA’s new graduates within their first six months after graduation. Specifically, it looks at information related to post-graduation next steps, including whether they are working, continuing education, joining the military or participating in service or volunteer programs, such as the Peace Corps.

The survey is meant to provide clear, concise and consistent data on the outcomes associated with SFA students as well as the national outcomes associated with a college education, according to an article on the Handshake website, the platform CCPD uses to connect students with industry professionals. For this reason, the questions in the survey are compliant with the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

The FDS is one way SFA tracks the success of students and those who help prepare them for the job market, said CCPD director Brent McLemore, “allowing us to tell their stories more completely, celebrate accordingly and improve more effectively.”

Between self-reported student data and the CCPD’s post-graduation knowledge rate, overall survey results account for 48% of the May 2023 SFA graduating class, which is slightly higher than both national (47%) and regional (40%) knowledge rates when comparing to class of 2022 data. National class of 2023 data will not be released until this fall. As with all class career outcomes, the reported data will include graduating students from each semester within an academic year.

Still, McLemore and other SFA administrators were excited to see that SFA’s reported career outcome rate within six months of graduation for May 2023 graduates was 6% higher than the 2022 national average and 10% higher than the 2022 southwest U.S. average. The southwest region includes Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

“It is always encouraging to see positive career outcomes at above average rates,” McLemore said. “These trends are reflective of the good work our faculty members put in each day to educate our students. Along with the many campus advisors, mentors and staff, their work results in students who are competitive in the job market, bringing significant value to it as potential employees.”

With several student resources focused on microcredentialing and experiential learning now being made possible through SFA’s affiliation with The University of Texas System, McLemore said he expects these positive trends to continue.

“We are very excited to support this upward trajectory in CCPD,” he said.

To learn more about the CCPD, including its career exploration and employer connection services, visit sfasu.edu/ccpd.

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, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, 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 37 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.

“I Think Therefore I Am” by Huntsville freshman Cooper Baley is among the artworks in this year’s “Words of Art” collaborative exhibition titled “Co-Elaborate,” showing Feb. 5 through 9 in the student galleries of the Lower Art Building on Wilson Drive on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus.

February 2, 2024 - Formerly a course at Stephen F. Austin State University called “Pen & Pigment,” “Words of Art” is a student organization-led collaborative event that presents contributors with publication and exhibition opportunities.

Students who participated in “Pen & Pigment” engaged with one another to produce cohesive paintings and poetry that effectively correlated their disciplines.

“Words of Art” epitomizes the idea of interdisciplinarity by expanding the accepted disciplines and by being facilitated by student organizations Subplots and Art Alliance. The goal was to increase flexibility and increase the number of disciplines involved in the event, according to Megan Bynum, event organizer.

The exhibition, titled “Co-Elaborate,” will be shown Feb. 5 through 9 in the student galleries of the Lower Art Building on Wilson Drive. A closing reception is scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9. The public is invited to celebrate the contributors and the people who made this event possible. Attendees will have the chance to show their support by voting for the People’s Choice Award, highlighting the artist and writer who best displayed interdisciplinarity.

The gallery hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, contact Megan Bynum at (325) 998-5425 or bynummc1@jacks.sfasu.edu.

Dr. Matibur Zamadar, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Stephen F. Austin State University, received a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for his invention of a new type of antibiotic for drug resistant bacteria.

January 31, 2024 — Dr. Matibur Zamadar, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Stephen F. Austin State University, has received a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for his second invention of a drug to treat bacteria that is resistant to most existing antibiotics and kills millions of people around the world with an invasive infection.

Zamadar created a drug to reduce antimicrobial resistance, which occurs when medication loses its ability to kill bacteria. This drug is effective at a relatively low single dose or reduced repeat doses. His invention is effective to treat cancer as well as bacterial infection complications of cancer treatment, especially when cancer cells are surgically removed.

“Pathogenic bacteria often develop resistance against conventional antibacterial agents, which lose efficacy over time,” Zamadar said. “By developing adaptive bacterial resistance, many bacteria become resistant to specific antibacterial structures. As bacteria become more resistant to antibacterial medications, dosages are increased until highest doses become ineffective against the most resistant bacteria.”

Overuse of antibiotics often lead to the emergence of more resistant pathogens. Zamadar’s invention will counteract this.

“Studies project that by 2050 antibacterial resistance will kill 300 million people worldwide, and total world economic loss will be around $100 trillion if antibacterial resistance is not addressed,” he said. “Also, conventional antibiotics are costly and not easily synthesized or readily available to poorer developing or certain developed countries. Patients receiving extended treatment for cancer are at high risk of developing bacterial infections and bacterial resistance due to prolonged neutropenia, lymphocyte dysfunction, and use of invasive devices.”

Patients using chemotherapy drugs will benefit from this invention since they are usually unable to get rid of live bacteria from the tumor site. According to Zamadar, physicians often administer a high dose of antibiotics to cancer patients, which leads to resistant pathogen issues and can cause negative side effects for patients after tumor surgery.

Zamadar began the patent application process in 2020. This is the second U.S. patent granted to a professor in SFA’s College of Sciences and Mathematics within the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Zamadar previously obtained one U.S. patent and two international patents from India and South Africa for his prior invention for a drug for cancer treatment in 2022.

“Obtaining this patent would not have been possible without support from SFA faculty members and students,” Zamadar said. “Dr. Michele Harris, associate dean and professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and undergraduate students Aqeeb Ali and Jacob Herschmann provided technical support throughout the patent process. Retired patent attorney Tom Pruitt provided his expertise to file the patent application.”

To learn more about SFA’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, visit sfasu.edu/chemistry.

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, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, 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 37 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.