SFA University
September 26, 2017 - The Children’s Performing Arts Series at Stephen F. Austin State University will open its 2017-18 season on Friday, Oct. 13, with a performance of the Virginia Repertory Theatre’s “Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs.”
This musical adaptation of the classic Grimm’s fairy tale comes to life with a talented ensemble of actors and wonderful puppets, according to Diane Peterson, Fine Arts Box Office manager and director of the series.
“Follow along as Snow White meets her pint-sized friends, takes the apple from the Evil Queen, receives a kiss from the Prince, and lives happily ever after,” Peterson said. “This faithful rendition of the fable will inspire young audiences to read the original.”
“Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs” targets children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Performances are at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. in W.M. Turner Auditorium, located in the Griffith Fine Arts Building on the SFA campus. Tickets are $7.50 for individuals and $6 per person for groups of 20 or more.
This presentation of “Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs,” based on the original story by the Brothers Grimm, is by Bruce Craig Miller and Ford Flannagan with lyrics by Bruce Craig Miller and music by Ron Barnett.
Presented by the SFA College of Fine Arts, the Children’s Performing Arts Series annually features five shows designed to entertain, educate and engage young audiences of all ages, according to Peterson. Study guides provide suggestions for pre- and post-performance activities and discussions for teachers to use in the classroom. A study guide for “Snow White” may be accessed at http://va-rep.org/tour/guides/snow_white.pdf.
Other upcoming CPAS performances include “A Christmas Carol” on Friday, Dec. 1; “Harriet Tubman & The Underground Railroad” on Thursday, Feb. 1; Super Scientific Circus on Wednesday, March 7; and “The Ugly Duckling” on Friday, April 27.
To order tickets, call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS. Visit the CPAS website at www.cpas.sfasu.edu for additional information.
September 21, 2017 Nacogdoches — With tears still welling at the corner of her eyes, Natalie Clem of Memphis, Tennessee, offered her sincere gratitude for being named the first recipient of the Christopher J. Snyder Memorial Scholarship, which was recently endowed at Stephen F. Austin State University.
“Orientation and mobility is my passion,” Clem told the crowd gathered in the Human Services Building third-floor conference room, her voice cracking slightly with emotion. “Christopher J. Snyder is an inspiration to me because he made it from Chicago to Nacogdoches in 1997 to do something that I love and I’m passionate about as well. To be able to follow in his passion and love for orientation and mobility is an honor.”
Snyder was a two-time SFA graduate and a certified orientation and mobility specialist.
Snyder moved to Nacogdoches from Chicago in 1997 to pursue a bachelor’s degree in orientation and mobility, and he graduated in 1999. He returned to Illinois to work with visually impaired students, teaching them how to travel safely in different environments. In 2001, Snyder and Nacogdoches native Kim Luna were married, and they lived in the Chicago area until 2004.
“He arranged a trip for his seniors to Wrigley Field, and their assignment was to be able to plan the route, get on the bus, get on the train and get to their seat in the stadium,” Luna said during the scholarship ceremony. “I met them at the train station, and it was very touching and gave me a real admiration for those of you who are helping and working with others, especially the blind. Your profession does make a difference in the world. It impacts students every day.”
Snyder served each summer as an instructor for a six-week SFA course teaching other teachers orientation and mobility skills to better assist their visually impaired students.
In 2005, he earned his Master of Education in special education with an emphasis in serious emotional disorders and autism. He began working for Nacogdoches ISD that year as an assistive technology teacher and orientation and mobility specialist, working with special-needs students and their teachers throughout the district.
Snyder passed away in January after being diagnosed with cancer in August 2016. To honor his memory, Snyder’s family worked to create a scholarship for orientation and mobility students. Enough donations were received from family, students and friends to establish the permanently endowed Christopher J. Snyder Memorial Scholarship.
“The field of orientation and mobility changed Chris’ life,” said Michael Munro, director of the visual impairment and orientation and mobility program at SFA. “We currently have the only undergraduate orientation and mobility program in the country. I hope that the Christopher J. Snyder Memorial Scholarship will facilitate others to move to Texas to study and fall in love with this great field.”
The scholarship’s endowment will allow “the memory of Chris to continue through each and every scholarship recipient,” Luna said. “I think it takes very special people to be in this field, and Chris was very passionate about his profession. Until his very last day, he was very much a part of education and the orientation and mobility community.”
By Christine Broussard, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University
September 20, 2017 Nacogdoches — Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host its annual Fabulous Fall Festival Plant Sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, October 7, at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St., in historic Nacogdoches.
The sale will feature a variety of hard-to-find, “Texas-tough” plants, including Texas natives, heirlooms, perennials, shrubs and trees, with an emphasis on pollinator friendly natives as well as exclusive SFA introductions. The featured plants are extensively trialed before being offered to the public and are produced by staff members and volunteers of the SFA Gardens.
This popular event benefits the SFA Mast Arboretum, PNPC, Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden and Gayla Mize Garden, along with educational programs that are hosted monthly at the gardens. Educational programs provided at the SFA Gardens reach more than 15,000 participants annually.
Parking will be available at SFA’s Janice A. Pattillo Early Childhood Research Center, 2428 Raguet St., and visitors are encouraged to arrive early and bring a wagon for their plants.
For more information and a list of available plants, call (936) 468-4404, or visit sfagardens.sfasu.edu two weeks before the sale.
September 20, 2017 - With excitement and anticipation, Mary Jo Goodwin Morris made the five-hour drive from her home in New Braunfels to the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University.
The 87-year-old former SFA twirler had been invited to attend the Lumberjack Marching Band and Twirl-O-Jacks Reunion and to perform with an SFA alumni band in Homer Bryce Stadium prior to the kickoff of the football game between the SFA Lumberjacks and the University of Incarnate Word.
A number of Morris’ family members, including some of the seven siblings in her family, two of her four sons and several of her nieces and nephews, either graduated from or attended SFA. Her baby brother, the late Judge Gerald A. Goodwin of Lufkin, was an SFA graduate. So the memories she carried with her back to campus for the reunion represented “some of the happiest times of my life,” she said.
Morris had returned to campus many times for events that celebrated the SFA Twirl-O-Jacks’ rich history. Most recently, she attended events last year that celebrated The Lumberjack Marching Band’s 90th anniversary and the Twirl-O-Jacks’ 60th anniversary.
After graduating from Lufkin High School, Morris was a freshman at SFA in the fall of 1948 and made the twirling line that year and the following. She recalls wearing the “freshman cap,” living in Gibbs Hall, “doing a lot of crazy things” and riding around in roommate Doris Smith’s convertible.
The rivalry between what was then Sam Houston State Teachers College was strong even in those days, she said, recalling when a group of guys from Sam Houston “painted up campus,” were caught and sentenced to serving meals in the dormitories and leading SFA cheers outside the dorms.
“One who had attended SFA before going to Huntsville was put in a wooden and screened box and put on the train to ride back to Huntsville,” she said. “It was unbelievable.”
She was a member of the Pine Burrs (now Chi Omega), whose initiation attire remains vivid in her mind.
“We wore these old tow sacks that had pine cones all around them,” she said. “We had a clock hanging around our necks, wore pigtails with purple bows in our hair and no makeup, and wore one high heel and one low heel shoe. There was a photo of us in the annual.
“I loved SFA and had a wonderful two years there,” she said. “SFA was real special.”
Her college and twirling career was sidelined when she met Ferrell Morris of Pasadena while she was working during summers in the Houston area. The two married in the fall of 1950, and Mary Jo had a large wedding party, including her roommate from college and many of her twirling colleagues. Mary Jo and Ferrell had a long and happy life together and were blessed with four sons and a lifetime of adventurous careers and extensive travel, including a few years in the Middle East. Throughout the years, Morris has enjoyed working with children, often as a teacher and now as a “reading buddy” for students in the New Braunfels area and as a kindergarten Sunday School class teacher.
She stays active by working out at area gyms, including participating in water aerobics. She still mows her own lawn, and not with a riding lawnmower, she points out.
“My kids fuss at me for that,” she said, “but all I have to do is turn the key and follow it. As long as I can keep doing what I’m doing, I want to keep going as long as I can.”
Morris enjoyed reconnecting with her past at Saturday’s reunion. She said event organizers and representatives of the SFA Alumni Association “have been so precious to me.”
“They have reached out to me, and I feel so flattered,” she said, adding that she enjoyed meeting SFA President Dr. Baker Pattillo and sitting with him and his wife, Dr. Janice Pattillo, during the game. Prior to the weekend, she said she was looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones.
“It’s exciting at my age to get this attention,” she said. “It’s flattering. They treated me like I was special, when I’m just another human being, just passing through this world.”
Cutline: Former SFA twirler Mary Jo Goodwin Morris performs for Lumberjack football fans during the pre-game show Saturday, Sept. 16, in Homer Bryce Stadium. Morris was among the Lumberjack Marching Band alumni who returned to campus for a reunion and meeting of the newly formed Lumberjack Band Alumni Association.
September 19, 2017 Nacogdoches — Stephen F. Austin State University’s Bachelor of Science in human sciences with an emphasis in human development and family studies has been ranked as one of the top 20 most affordable online child development degree programs in the nation by affordablecolleges.com.
“This is a recognition of a lot of hard work on the part of the faculty members in the human development and family studies program, with the support of the School of Human Sciences, who have worked to better serve our students no matter where they live,” said Dr. Rachel Jumper, assistant professor in the human development and family studies program.
SFA’s program was ranked 18th in the nation. Affordablecolleges.com based its rankings on three measurement categories: financial, student success and program metrics.
This degree allows students who have completed courses at another higher education institution to complete the last two years of the degree at SFA. The program provides an in-depth understanding of growth, change and development of children, adults and families, and integrates a life span, multi-contextual and family systems approach. The HDFS major culminates with a 200-hour, hands-on practicum in the senior year.
“Our program emphasizes hands-on experiences working with children and families,” Jumper said. “Currently, a student in our program will experience several hands-on and community service projects throughout their major courses.”
In spring 2018 all required courses for a HDFS degree are scheduled to be online. At that time, it will no longer be necessary to have any courses at another institution, and a fully online bachelor’s degree in HDFS will be available to students at SFA.
By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.
September 19, 2017 Nacogdoches — During the past 10 years, the Gilbert I. “Buddy” Low Scholarship Program has covered the cost of tuition and fees for several San Augustine High School graduates to attend Stephen F. Austin State University.
Those involved with the scholarship program recently celebrated a decade of promoting student success with a luncheon that brought scholarship donors, current and past scholarship recipients, and SFA administrators together.
Low, who graduated from SFA in 1954 and is a trial attorney with Orgain Bell & Tucker in Beaumont, credits his San Augustine teachers with preparing him for the rigors of higher education.
“When I got to SFA, I did well because of the quality education I received from my teachers in San Augustine,” Low said. “I had a job on campus and did pipeline work — hard, hot work — and saved during the summers to pay for my education. I started the scholarship program because I wanted to help students like me who really couldn’t afford to go to college be able to attend SFA and concentrate on their studies.”
Low’s pay-it-forward approach has helped 31 SFA students achieve their dream of higher education.
“During the past decade, we have selected three scholarship recipients per year to join this elite group of student leaders,” said W. Frank Newton, president and chief executive officer of the Beaumont Foundation of America, which administers the scholarship program. “From year to year, the recipients become mentors and support the subsequent year’s recipients, thus continuing the cycle of academic success.”
The scholarships are awarded based on financial need as well as potential for academic success in college. Interested students are screened by the school district and participate in an interview with representatives of the Beaumont Foundation of America.
“If not for this scholarship, I don’t think I would have been financially able to attend college,” said Ben Eberlan, 2014 San Augustine High School graduate and accounting major at SFA. “While the scholarships provide the funds to help us attend college, there is a tremendous support system in place, as well, that helps ensure our success. Everyone from university administrators to faculty members is vested in helping us graduate. If we need help, we get it.”
Twelve scholarship recipients were present at the luncheon along with eight SFA administrators, including SFA President Dr. Baker Pattillo; Dr. Steve Bullard, provost and vice president for academic affairs; Jill Still, vice president for university advancement; and Drs. Janet Tareilo and Mary Nelle Brunson, associate provosts.
“The 1.5-to-1 student-to-administrator ratio at today’s luncheon is a clear indicator of SFA’s commitment to the success of the students in this program,” Newton said. “Many of these administrators have spent time teaching and know that it’s not just the availability of academic resources that make students successful — it’s also about the relationship between the students and those they look to as leaders and mentors.”
Each scholarship recipient is eligible to receive up to $11,200 per year for four years of study at SFA. In addition to paying for tuition and fees, the scholarship also provides reimbursement for books and supplies.
“When I found out I was a Buddy Low Scholarship recipient, I was overwhelmed with joy,” said Cordestine Clifton, a 2014 San Augustine High School graduate and SFA kinesiology major. “Knowing that I had this backing from the program took so much weight off me and my parents. I can go to school now and concentrate on my studies and not have to worry about accumulating debt.”
Chelsea Heidbrink, SFA student success coordinator, manages all student aspects of the program.
“I work to ensure that the students are meeting the scholarship requirements, are engaging at the university, and I help to eliminate the barriers they may face in college,” Heidbrink said. “I advocate for the students and help them in any way I can so their journey at SFA is as smooth as possible.”
During the luncheon, Pattillo addressed attendees and acknowledged Low for his support in helping students from his hometown reach their academic potential.
“Buddy Low never forgot where he came from,” Pattillo said. “His generosity combined with his expectation of success has provided the opportunity for these students to live and learn in a student-centered environment. They have already proven to be leaders among students, and there is no doubt that they will go on to become leaders in their communities and professions.”
For questions about the scholarship program, contact April Smith, associate director of development at SFA, at (936) 468-5406.
By Donna Parish, assistant director of creative services at Stephen F. Austin State University.
September 14, 2017 Nacogdoches — What does a day in the life of a two- or four-person household living in poverty look like? What does it feel like to have to choose between baby formula and diapers? How can poverty affect and control even the smallest portions of life?
The Poverty Simulation, hosted by Stephen F. Austin State University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, aims to address these questions and others through a simulated poverty experience.
“The Poverty Simulation is designed to help participants begin to comprehend what it might be like to live in poverty from week to week,” said Veronica Beavers, OMA director. “Participants will experience some of the daily challenges a family in poverty may endure through a simulated experience. I hope participants gain understanding and awareness of poverty in society. I also hope that participants become empathetic to what some families deal with day to day.”
Budgeting is a focus of the simulation; however, the psychological stress families in poverty endure also will be discussed.
The OMA partnered with the East Texas Human Needs Network, which conducts the simulation. The OMA also is interested in collaborating with other Nacogdoches organizations for volunteers. Any person interested in volunteering can sign up at sfasu.edu/oma.
Two Poverty Simulation sessions are being offered. The first will be at 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29, and the second at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, both in the Norton H.P.E. Complex on the SFA campus. The event is open to the SFA and Nacogdoches communities. It will last approximately two to three hours.
Seats are limited for this event. Preregister by Wednesday, Sept. 27, on the OMA website.
By Christine Broussard, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.
September 13, 2017 - People wanting to earn a master’s degree in cybersecurity will soon have the opportunity to do so at Stephen F. Austin State University.
The College of Sciences and Mathematics recently received approval to offer the new degree program, and professors in the Department of Computer Science are busy planning to launch the program’s core courses in spring 2018.
According to Forbes, the cybersecurity market is expected to reach $170 billion by 2020. Additionally, data gathered from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that more than 209,000 U.S. cybersecurity jobs are unfilled.
“There is a widely recognized, very strong need for cybersecurity professionals in government, industry and education,” said Dr. Debbie Dunn, interim chair of the Department of Computer Science at SFA. “This program will provide a fundamental background in cybersecurity.”
Students will be required to complete 30 hours of coursework as well as a thesis. Courses will include general computer security, web security, defensive coding and security, reverse engineering, forensics, attack testing, and attack, defense and penetration testing.
Dr. Christopher Ivancic, graduate program coordinator in SFA’s Department of Computer Science, will teach many of the courses. His background is in software engineering, and he has experience in creating digital and forensics training for law enforcement and military personnel.
“In today’s world, cybersecurity is more than a tech problem. Employers from private businesses to government agencies are looking for people with security knowledge and skills,” Ivancic said.
Courses will be offered face-to-face, and plans are underway to include a cybersecurity lab in SFA’s new Ed and Gwen Cole STEM Building.
“We are excited about the possibility of the lab,” Ivancic said. “This program will offer students hands-on learning opportunities as well as an in-depth look at the specialized field of cybersecurity. For example, professors will be able to create ‘sandboxes’ (test or staging servers) where students can work on cyber issues virtually.”
Possible career paths for those interested in pursuing a master’s degree in cybersecurity include security analyst, security software developer, cryptanalyst, security consultant, cyber forensics consultant, malware analyst and more.
For more information, contact Dunn at ddunn@sfasu.edu or Ivancic at ivanciccp@sfasu.edu.
By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.
September 13, 2017 Nacogdoches – Two Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music alumni were recognized this past summer at the Texas Bandmasters Association convention in San Antonio.
It was announced at the convention that Corey Graves, a 2007 summa cum laude graduate, was named “Young Bandmaster of the Year” by Phi Beta Mu Honorary Band Fraternity, and George Little, a 2002 graduate, was elected to serve on the TBA board of directors.
“These two alumni are excellent representatives of SFA in everything they do,” said Fred J. Allen, director of bands at SFA. “They are shining examples in our profession and even to our current students.”
Phi Beta Mu is a service organization whose goals are the promotion of school bands, school musicians and the furtherance of school bands in the eyes of the public. Graves, who currently teaches in Roma ISD, said he was “humbled” by the recognition.
“Considering the incredible list of previous recipients, and the numerous music educators across the state of Texas who are making such an impact on the lives of their students and communities, it is quite humbling to be even put in the same category,” he said. “I am grateful for the recognition of what the students and faculty of Roma ISD do daily.”
Graves earned a Master of Music in Euphonium Performance from The Ohio State University as a graduate fellow in 2008. He is in his 10th year of teaching and has been with the Roma ISD since 2010. Prior to moving to Roma Middle School, he taught two years with La Joya ISD.
Graves is a Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholar and the Region XV Middle School Coordinator. Bands under his direction have consistently received superior sweepstakes ratings at UIL Concert and Sight-reading Contest and have also earned high levels of recognition on state, national and international stages.
Mike Brashear, TBA executive director, welcomed Little to the organization’s board, stating, “We look forward to his leadership and expertise as he represents the fine band programs from East Texas.”
“Being elected to the TBA board of directors is a very humbling and exciting experience,” Little said. “I am thrilled to have the chance to serve with such an outstanding group of fellow directors. Professionally, I know that I will learn a lot during my years on the board, and I hope to be able to contribute to best of my ability.”
TBA board members start as sergeant-at-arms, then move up through the offices of secretary, treasurer, vice president, president-elect, president and past president. Board members serve on the board for seven years and oversee all activities of the TBA, including the annual TBA Convention/Clinic held in San Antonio at the end of July.
Little is director of bands at Lufkin ISD. He is entering his 16th year of teaching and his second year at Lufkin. He taught for eight years at New Diana High School and six years at Henderson Middle School. His bands consistently earn top rankings in UIL and invitational competitions.
Both Graves and Little credited SFA with preparing them to be successful as band directors and music educators.
“SFA provided so many great opportunities for learning,” Graves said. “I have always felt that the staff was giving of their time, even after graduation, to help propel their students to success. It is a great student-centered environment that I am proud to call my alma mater.”
“SFA is, in my opinion, one of the top music schools in the state,” Little said. “There are many successful band directors that graduated from SFA. The faculty is very purposeful in what students learn as they progress through their degree plan. One thing about SFA that aids in the success of their future band directors is that professors are available for mentorship, even after you have graduated. The professional help network that Lumberjack Band alumni enjoy is second to none.”
September 9, 2017 Nacogdoches — Four Stephen F. Austin State University alumni working in health-care-related fields joined with two SFA dietetic intern graduate students this summer to provide care to more than 400 patients in Guatemala.
SFA dietetic interns Brandi Gouldthorpe of Tyler and Leslie Rowe of Gladewater worked alongside SFA alumni Leslie Goudarzi and Hannah Dunahoe, registered dietitians, Dr. Tedd Mitchell, president of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and internist, and Dr. Ben Mack, general surgeon in Longview, to help those in need.
The group spent a week interviewing patients, recording medical histories, collecting vital information, screening patients for hypertension and analyzing anthropometric measurements, which were used to educate patients on risk factors and disease processes.
“I grew up on this trip and was able to see how I could make a difference. I used my knowledge of nutrition and dietetics to change lives,” Gouldthorpe said. “Even though there were language and cultural barriers, being kind and helping others are universal. Little acts of kindness, such as a smile, a hug or asking others about their day, shows love and what really is important in life.”
The trip, organized by Refuge International, a non-profit organization that helps people by providing health care, nutrition information, clean water and education programs, stationed the SFA team at a remote clinic in San Raymundo where team members performed more than 60 surgeries.
“I learned to appreciate all we take for granted in America,” Gouldthorpe said. “There is a need to be bigger than ourselves and to use the gifts we have been given and the knowledge we have learned to give back to others.”
Dietetic graduate students are required to complete 1,200 supervised practice hours during the year to be eligible to sit for the national registered dietitian exam. This trip helped the graduate students earn those hours.
“Although the environment at the clinic was unlike any typical hospital, I learned about the roles of other health professionals who are involved in the care process,” Rowe said. “I enjoyed getting to be involved with or observe nurses, nurse practitioners, doctors and surgeons. I will take this knowledge and apply it to my future rotations in similar settings.”
Rowe added that although the environment was fast-paced, she learned by example, verbal instructions and practice. “I quickly learned how to conduct intake exams and how to efficiently communicate with patients in an appropriate manner, which is very valuable for my future practice as a dietetics student and professional.”
By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University
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