SFA University
Dr. John Hendricks, chair and professor of Stephen F. Austin State University’s Department of Mass Communication, second from left, presented research in Madrid, Spain, during the 13th annual Global Communication Association Conference. Hendricks presented research at two other international conferences in Athens, Greece and Prague, Czech Republic.
July 24, 2018 Nacogdoches — Dr. John Hendricks, chair and professor of the Stephen F. Austin State University Department of Mass Communication, recently attended and presented research to international media scholars in Europe at three conferences.
Hendricks attended the 16th annual International Conference on Communication and Mass Media held in Athens, Greece, where he presented “Social Media Strategies and Platforms in 2016: The Trump and Clinton Campaigns.” More than 80 scholars from 20 countries attended and presented 61 research papers.
The mission of the conference, organized by the Athens Institute for Education and Research, was to become a forum where academics and researchers from all over the world could meet, exchange ideas on their research, discuss future developments in their disciplines and engage with professionals from other fields.
Hendricks then traveled to Madrid, Spain, where he presented “Trump vs. Clinton: Social Media Usage and the 2016 Presidential Campaign,” at the 13th annual Global Communication Association Conference.
The objective of the GCA conference was to explore contemporary global issues in the media industry. Rey Juan Carlos University hosted the Madrid conference. Scholars from more than 20 countries attended and presented more than 70 research papers.
On the final stop of the European journey, Hendricks attended the International Communication Association’s 68th annual conference in Prague, Czech Republic. While there, he participated in professional development sessions, interacted with scholars from around the globe and learned about new research. The ICA strives to advance the scholarly study of human communication by encouraging and facilitating excellence in academic research worldwide.
“Having the opportunity to interact with scholars from around the world who study what I study was invaluable and very interesting,” Hendricks said. “At each of the conferences, I was able to learn firsthand about pioneering and innovative research being conducted at other universities around the world.”
To learn more about Hendricks’ presentations, contact him at hendricksj@sfasu.edu or (936) 468-4001.
This past June, Stephen F. Austin State University students from six academic disciplines dedicated about two weeks of their summer break to accomplish a variety of projects in rural Haiti. Pictured, participating SFA students are joined by youth who reside in the mountain village of Quicroif.
July 23, 2018 Nacogdoches — While many view summer break as a time to unwind and relax, others embrace it as an opportunity to immerse themselves in a new culture while working long hours to accomplish meaningful projects. This past June, Stephen F. Austin State University students from the academic disciplines of agriculture, early childhood education, environmental science, forestry, nursing and social work did just that — dedicating almost two weeks of their summer break to accomplish a variety of projects in rural Haiti.
This marks the second summer in which SFA has partnered with One Foot Raised, a local mission-based nonprofit organization founded by SFA alumni. While the organization was officially established in 2016, its founders, Becky and Zac Weems, have led outreach teams in the country for a decade. The Weems said they work closely with leadership from a small number of villages to learn the exact needs of residents and then work hand-in-hand with them to achieve these goals.
In partnering with SFA, the Weems said they now have access to a vast amount of knowledge and skills in the form of faculty and staff, as well as students.
This year, Dr. Angela Jones, assistant professor of nursing within SFA’s Richard and Lucille DeWitt School of Nursing, and Dr. Shelby Gull Laird, assistant professor of forestry within SFA’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, led a team of 13 SFA students who completed tasks ranging from human health and wellness to agricultural development in three rural villages.
“The whole goal of the trip for the nursing students was to immerse themselves in health care in the context of another culture, take what they’ve learned here and see how they can adapt it to meet the needs of a community using the services is has,” Jones said. “It was absolutely a priceless experience.”
Jones and the six participating nursing students conducted health clinics and home visits in the villages of Lamonthe, Quicroif and Thomassin where they focused on basic wound care, women’s health and distributed reading glasses after conducting rudimentary vision tests using a vision chart in French Creole, the official language of Haiti.
“We used shards of a broken mirror to show them their reflection wearing the new glasses, and it was amazing,” Jones said. “That was probably our favorite thing we did.”
Students from social work and elementary education assisted in various capacities, including organizing and facilitating the projects.
“They were a tremendous help in providing support and educational games to the children of those seeking medical care," Jones said.
Brennan Morrell, a senior nursing student, said the experience inspired him to seek ways to improve his nursing skills and gave him renewed gratitude for the American health care system.
“I kind of went into the trip with the mindset that I know everything I need to know to be a nurse right now, but in coming back I realized how much more I could do to be a better nurse,” Morrell said.
This introspection and personal growth is precisely what Jones hoped would occur.
“I really saw who they are as nurses,” Jones said. “I saw their hearts and passion.”
While overall emphasis was placed on the bipedal residents of Haiti, the four-legged variety was not neglected.
Drawing on her experience of keeping show rabbits, DeeAnna Berry, a junior studying animal science within SFA’s Department of Agriculture, developed a comprehensive brochure on rabbit husbandry that was translated into French Creole and distributed to a group of women in the mountain-top village of Quicroif.
Berry explained that the rabbits will provide the women, all widows, with a source of food and income, as well as fertilizer for them and local farmers.
In addition to the informational brochure, Berry and Jheri-Lynn McSwain, an SFA doctoral student in forestry and Shelby County extension agent, taught the women how to determine the sex of rabbits and efficiently harvest the animals.
“Being able to travel to different places to see how they care for their crops or their livestock versus how we do it in the U.S. is a real eye opener and can show us how to be more resourceful,” Berry said. “The community was very welcoming and just wanted to help everyone.”
Students also fine-tuned the design of an existing rabbit cage to allow for better ventilation and improved health of the rabbits.
“They had built a good cage, but the limiting factor was the wire mesh for the sides,” Laird said. “They used tin, the only thing they had accessible, and the cages were too hot.”
Following an extensive search of supply stores in Port-au-Prince, Laird and Zac Weems were able to locate the wire mesh needed.
Laird emphasized that the frame of the existing rabbit cage, made of limbs sourced from surrounding trees, was of excellent quality and served as a template for the cage built by the villagers and SFA students.
While on the surface the completed projects seem discipline specific, both Jones and Laird said that SFA students of all majors contributed in a number of ways and, perhaps most importantly, learned from each other. Additionally, Laird stressed that as the needs of the Haitian villagers change, so will the focus of the projects, allowing ample opportunity for more interdisciplinary collaboration.
“While all study abroad trips are important, I think this trip’s focus on service provides something different, and the students find more meaning in what they are doing,” Laird said. “They were able to contribute to other’s learning while also learning themselves.”
Laird explained that although One Foot Raised is a faith-based nonprofit organization, all volunteers from SFA are welcome to participate.
Looking forward, Laird and Jones hope to continue their collaboration with One Foot Raised, allowing SFA Lumberjacks from across disciplines to unite for a common good.
For more information on One Foot Raised, visit www.onefootraised.org. To learn how you can be a part of the SFA summer course, contact Laird at lairdsg@sfasu.edu or (936) 468-2014.
July 18, 2018 Nacogdoches — Stephen F. Austin State University will hold a public ribbon cutting for the Ed and Gwen Cole STEM Building at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 24th.
Designed to foster collaboration and innovation, the STEM Building boasts a planetarium with a 52-foot dome, makerspaces and multipurpose labs. The facility also features a machine shop, a digital media center, computer labs, research labs, collaborative classrooms and a terrace with telescopes.
“The outside of the building will ‘speak’ science, technology, engineering and mathematics with displays and features that reflect the hands-on and inquiry-based learning opportunities that will take place inside,” said Dr. Kimberly Childs, dean of the College of Sciences and Mathematics. “SFA students of all majors will benefit from the educational opportunities offered within the STEM Building and will be immersed in a high-tech environment with state-of-the-art instrumentation and equipment.”
The SFA Board of Regents broke ground in 2016 after the 84th Texas Legislature granted the university approximately $46.4 million in tuition revenue bond funding. Named for Ed Cole and his wife, the late Gwen Cole, supporters of numerous SFA programs, the STEM building also houses a three-story glass atrium named for the late regent Barry Nelson, former chair of the Building and Grounds committee, for his integral role in the planning phase of the building.
Responding to a national call for STEM reform, SFA began to implement activities, courses and outreach initiatives with the aim of encouraging students to develop a greater interest in STEM.
“A vibrant science, technology, engineering and mathematics workforce is vital to America’s innovative capacity and global competitiveness,” Childs said. “With the addition of the STEM Building, SFA is perfectly positioned to lead this charge across the East Texas region and to have an explosive impact in Texas.”
To learn more about SFA’s STEM program, visit sfasu.edu/academics/colleges/sciences-math.
July 18, 2018 Nacogdoches — Society is aging and, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the nation’s population of those who are 65 years old and older will nearly double in the next 20 years. To help prepare for this population shift, Stephen F. Austin State University will offer a certificate in aging studies and become the only university in Northeast Texas to provide this option.
“This increase presents exciting opportunities and urgent challenges to society. This aging population will be the major social and business issue of the 21st century,” said Dr. Hyunsook Kang, associate professor in SFA’s School of Human Sciences. “It is important to prepare health providers and societies to meet the specific needs of older populations.”
The 18-hour certificate will help prepare students for careers in planning, administering, coordinating and delivering services to older adults. Career opportunities include working as a case manager, consultant, older adult educator, legal aid assistant, program activities director or senior community outreach personnel. Nurses and social workers also can specialize in working with geriatric clients.
With this certificate, students also could pursue employment with entities such as the Department of Health Services, Department of Social Services, senior retirement and adult care centers, and area agencies on aging.
The certificate involves courses from human sciences, sociology and health science disciplines. Course topics include heath issues and aging, family relations, nutrition, independent living, and consumer issues.
The certificate is open to those who successfully complete six elective courses and who meet general admission requirements.
For more information, contact Kang at kangh@sfasu.edu, or visit sfasu.edu/hms.
By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.
The winning entry in the 2017 Nacogdoches Photographic Association’s gallery show was by Bruce Lindsay for the photo “Nac at Dawn.” This year’s show opens with a reception at 6 p.m. Friday, July 27, in The Cole Art Center at The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.
July 17, 2018 – The Nacogdoches Photographic Association will open its 2018 gallery show with a reception at 6 p.m. Friday, July 27, in The Cole Art Center at The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.
Theme for the photo show is “Doors, Windows and Gates,” and juror is John Handley, director of art galleries at Stephen F. Austin State University.
Handley earned his undergraduate degree in studio art and art history from Western Washington University. During that time, he worked as a student intern at the Whactom Museum of History and Art and The Western Art Gallery. While earning his master’s degree in museum studies from John F. Kennedy University, Handley worked at the Judah L. Magnes Museum in Berkeley, during which time he worked on the preparation and delivery of 175 Judaica artifacts for the exhibition “Patterns of Jewish Life in the World” at the Martin Gropius Building in Berlin.
For many years, Handley was the collections manager for the Museum of Vision, Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology in San Francisco where he worked with medical history scholars, created history of medicine exhibitions and publications and developed informal science exhibitions and curriculum for school-age children. He also worked with small museums in the Santa Clara Valley developing local history exhibitions.
Handley returned to graduate studies in 2002, first in theology, ultimately completing his doctorate in art history and religion at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. He became the director of galleries for the SFA School of Art in 2012.
Awards will include Best of Show, first, second and third places and honorable mention. The 2018 Best of Show recipient will be announced at the opening reception.
The Nacogdoches Photographic Association was organized in 1992. Monthly meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month (except on field-trip nights) in The Cole Art Center. For more information, contact R.G. Dean at dean@sfasu.edu. The NPA website URL is nacogdochesphotoassoc.org, and members’ works can be seen on Facebook.
The NPA show will run through Aug. 26. Gallery hours are 12:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main Street. For additional information, call (936) 468-1131.
Local artist Gary Broome won first place in last year’s Watercolor East Texas juried exhibition.
July 17, 2018 Nacogdoches – The 34th Watercolor East Texas juried exhibition will open with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 28, in The Cole Art Center at The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.
This year’s juror is Texas artist Bev Boren, who is a signature member of Outdoor Painters Society and Southwestern Watercolor Society. She is also a member of the Oil Painters of America, American Impressionist Society and American Watercolor Society.
Her work is primarily the result of her “need to paint,” she said.
“Inspiration can come at any time and in any place,” Boren said. Not confined to one subject area, she paints a variety of subject matter and works in various mediums. Her paintings are created with things that capture her eye, whether it's a still life or landscape or a person's personality. She explains that painting is her way of connecting with the world and the people around her and sharing those experiences along the way.
In her words, "Trying to describe or explain my efforts at painting or drawing seems like a futile effort. After all, I want my work to express itself without the necessity of words. My best hope is that my work will stand simply on its own and find a connection with viewers where words fail.”
See her work: http://bevboren.com/collections
The exhibition runs through August 26.
The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. For more information, contact WET member Carol Athey at atheycj@sfasu.edu or call the art center at (936) 468-1131.
Stephen F. Austin State University Assistant Professors Drs. Jim Ewing and Mark Montgomery from the James I. Perkins College of Education’s Department of Elementary Education will teach a two-year Advancing Inquiry in Middle Mathematics for Rural East Texas program. This free grant-funded program is for area teachers of fifth through 10th grade mathematics and can help them strengthen their current skills and learn new ones.
July 11, 2018 Nacogdoches — A free grant-funded program for area teachers of fifth through 10th grade mathematics can help them strengthen their current skills and learn new ones.
The two-year Advancing Inquiry in Middle Mathematics for Rural East Texas program will be taught by Stephen F. Austin State University Assistant Professors Drs. Jim Ewing and Mark Montgomery from the James I. Perkins College of Education’s Department of Elementary Education.
Ewing and Montgomery also served as co-principal investigators for the program, which is funded by an $865,963 Greater Texas Foundation grant.
“This program is designed to support teachers through their own mathematical understanding, while also providing material that can be used with their students,” Montgomery said.
This new offering is a collaboration among SFA, the University of Texas at Tyler and Sam Houston State University. The program is geared toward teachers working near each university and includes many rural districts.
Approximately 100 teachers from rural and small-town schools will be selected to participate. They will begin training July 26. Training is a mix of online broadcasts, weekly in-person meetings, weekend sessions and school-day training. Participants may be eligible for continuing professional education credit, stipends and materials.
“This is an excellent opportunity to participate in free professional development,” Ewing said. “I will be offering advice on how to engage emergent bilinguals and students from poverty. We all have our areas of expertise, and the teachers benefit from our diversity.”
Likewise, Montgomery has experience working with middle-level teachers.
“Working with teachers to expand their own knowledge and give them resources to expand their students’ knowledge is why I am excited to be a part of this project,” Montgomery said.
During the first year, participants will study algebra, geometry and numeration. In year two, teachers will receive training on how to use iPads to teach mathematics and add statistics to study topics.
To register, or for more information, visit https://uttyler.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_daokPLRKvgZhN3L.
July 10, 2018 Nacogdoches – Registration is still open for Junior Jacks Theatre Camp at Stephen F. Austin State University. The popular two-week School of Theatre camp is designed for children entering third through ninth grades. This year’s camp is scheduled for Monday, August 6, through Saturday, August 18. Registration deadline is July 27.
Junior Jacks was designed as a day-camp version of the highly successful High School Summer Theatre Workshop at SFA, according to Carolyn Conn, associate professor of theatre at SFA and the camp’s director. The fun and exciting summer camp, offered in two age groups, fills quickly, and Conn suggested parents register their children early.
“We have children representing all local and nearby schools as well as many home schoolers,” Conn said. “There are also many repeat campers. Many Junior Jacks ‘graduates’ go on to attend the High School Summer Theatre Workshop at SFA. We also have former Junior Jack/High School Workshop participants who become theatre majors at SFA. The camp is a great introduction to what we offer in the School of Theatre.”
This year’s camp has expanded its capacity, so more students will have an opportunity to participate, Conn said.
“As the School of Theatre’s teacher certification program grows and has incorporated the camp into its ‘Directing for the Youth’ course, we have a large number of student directors available to work with the children,” she said. “Additional teachers mean we have room for additional campers! So we are aiming for a 150-percent increase in campers this year.”
Junior Jacks is a community outreach opportunity designed to not only introduce children to theatre, but it also allows the School of Theatre’s teacher certification students to work with students who are younger than high school age. Junior Jacks campers play theatre games and rehearse plays that will be performed at the camp’s conclusion.
There will be a group of third through sixth graders and a group of seventh through ninth graders meeting from 9 a.m. to noon and another set of groups meeting from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
“We are aware that the NISD middle school band practice will conflict with afternoons, so they can be in a morning group, and we will place all elementary students who go back to school on the 15th into one group, so they can work out evening rehearsals on the 15th through the 17th,” Conn explained.
Play performances will be on Saturday, August 18, in Room 160 in the Wright Music Building on the SFA campus. Times are to be determined.
Registration cost is $75 per student and $50 for each additional sibling within a single family. Needs-based scholarships may be available. More information and a registration form can be found at theatre.sfasu.edu, or contact Conn at (936) 468-1031 or conncs@sfasu.edu
July 6, 2018 Nacogdoches — Online Schools Center has ranked Stephen F. Austin State University’s graduate interior design program among the top 16 in the nation.
Online Schools Center, a website dedicated to helping students who are seeking an online education, recently reviewed university websites to find the best online programs in interior design. SFA’s program stood out.
The program offers SFA students a Master of Science in human sciences with an emphasis in interior design and healthcare interior design, completely online. Students can enroll in a 30-hour program with a thesis or 36-hour program without a thesis.
“SFA’s respected program provides aspiring designers with the flexibility to choose a general interior design educational path or a more focused track through the convenience and accessibility of an online format,” according to Online Schools Center representatives.
Students choosing either degree emphasis will have the opportunity to study the philosophy of human sciences, advanced lighting, housing and furnishing, sustainability and acute care facilities.
To be admitted into the program, students must have earned a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Fine Arts in interior design or architecture. Prospective students with an undergraduate degree in a different field may still be eligible for the program after completing prerequisite courses.
To learn more about SFA’s Master of Science in human sciences, visit sfaonline.info/humansciences.
July 3, 2018 Nacogdoches – Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre will open the American comedy-drama “Crimes of the Heart” at 7:30pm Thursday, July 5, in the Downstage Theatre for the play’s run in the 2018 SummerStage Festival.
This year’s summer theatre season, which opened June 29 and continues through July 19, also features the children’s favorite “Pinkalicious the Musical.”
“Crimes of the Heart” by Beth Henley is about three sisters with very different personalities and lives who reunite when the youngest of them, Babe, has just shot her husband. The oldest sister, Lenny, takes care of their grandfather and is turning into an old maid, while Meg, who tries to make it in Hollywood as a singer/actress, has had a wild life filled with many men. Their reunion causes much joy, but also many tensions, according to the description at imdb.com.
But “Crimes of the Heart” is ultimately a play about the bonds of family and about love, according to Dr. Inga Meier, assistant professor of theatre and the play’s director. “The play strikes a delicate balance between tragedy and comedy,” she said. “It deals with some very serious topics, but the sisters navigate the challenges they face with a great deal of humor and love for one another, and they are ultimately brought closer together as a result.”
Bruce Beresford directed the 1986 film adaptation which starred Sissy Spacek, Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange and Tess Harper. The film earned three Academy Award nominations. Henley was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay; Harper was nominated for Best Supporting Actress; and Spacek was nominated for Lead Actress for her performance as Babe.
With “Crimes of the Heart” addressing domestic violence, pedophilia and suicide, a “talkback session” with Jill Milem, director of SFA Counseling Services, will follow the play’s July 7 performance.
“Crimes of the Heart” will be presented in the Downstage Theatre at 7:30 p.m. July 5, 7, 12, 13, 17, 18 and 19 and at 2 p.m. July 14. General admission tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and $5 for students/youth. A pay-what-you-can performance is at 2 p.m. July 14.
“Pinkalicious the Musical,” with book by Elizabeth Kann and Victoria Kann, music by John Gregor, and lyrics by John Gregor, Elizabeth Kann and Victoria Kann, is the story of Pinkalicious, a little girl who can't stop eating pink cupcakes, which causes Pinkititis, an affliction that turns her pink from head to toe. Only Pinkalicious can figure out a way to get out of this predicament.
“Pinkalicious the Musical” will be presented again in W.M. Turner Auditorium at 10 a.m. July 10 and 19; at 2 p.m. July 7, 10 and 18; and at 6:30 p.m. July 14. General admission tickets are $8. A pay-what-you-can performance is at 2 p.m. July 10.
For tickets or more information, visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu or call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS.
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