SFA University
March 7, 2018 Nacogdoches – The Cole Art Center at The Old Opera House, Stephen F. Austin State University’s historic downtown art gallery, will be open regular hours during spring break.
Showing in Cole Art Center are the exhibitions “Junko Chodos: Can We Hear Our Own Voice?” and “Peter Sarkisian: Video Works.” “Junko Chodos: Can We Hear Our Own Voice?” features mixed media pieces and large-scale drawings. The show runs through March 25. The Sarkisian exhibition, which features video projections on sculpture, will show through April 21.
The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. Regular hours are from 12:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; and from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.
The popular Texas National Competition and Exhibition will open in Cole Art Center Saturday, April 14. The juror’s talk with art critic and author Jed Perl begins at 5 p.m., followed by the opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m., during which time the competition winners will be announced.
Griffith Gallery in the Griffith Fine Arts Building on the SFA campus will be closed during spring break and will reopen Tuesday, March 20. Showing is “Erle Loran (1905-1999): A Modern Artist of the American West,” which features a retrospective of more than 60 works in diverse media, including oil paintings, watercolor, gouache, mixed media drawings and charcoal studies. The Loran show runs through April 14.
Regular Griffith Gallery hours are from 12:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday during fall and spring semesters.
For more information, contact the gallery director at (936) 468-1131 or the front desk at (936) 468-5500.
February 27, 2018 - Stephen F. Austin State University is one of the safest colleges in America, according to a recent report from the National Council for Home Safety and Security.
The council, a trade association comprising home security professionals across the U.S., based its report on data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting and the Campus Safety Security Survey.
According to the council, nearly all accredited U.S. institutions were considered, and a list of the 100 safest campuses in the nation was compiled. Only nine Texas schools are on the list: Texas A&M University-Commerce (No. 33), Texas Woman’s University (No. 40), the University of Texas at El Paso (No. 41), the University of North Texas (No. 48), Texas A&M University (No. 49), SFA (No. 55), Tarleton (No. 57), Texas State University (No. 80) and the University of Texas at Arlington (No. 84).
Through the use of innovative technology efforts, prevention trainings and more, SFA’s Department of Public Safety provides police, parking, safety technology and emergency management services 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“It takes community teamwork to create a safe living and learning environment,” said Marc Cossich, executive director of public safety and chief of police at SFA. “Parents can feel comfortable sending their family members to SFA, and community members can feel safe attending the range of events on campus.”
DPS employs 28 police officers who work closely with local, state and federal agencies to provide a safe environment. Officers provide 24-hour patrol protection on campus, including all parking lots, residence halls, and administration and academic buildings. University police officers are vested with all powers, privileges and immunities of peace officers within the county.
“To truly make a campus safe, it takes the entire community,” Cossich said.
Approximately 300 yellow emergency call boxes are located throughout campus to provide people with a direct line to the DPS communications center. The boxes can be utilized to request police assistance and escorts or report vehicle trouble. At SFA, more than 900 surveillance cameras are in operation, and there are about 80 automated external defibrillators positioned on campus.
The SFA community also has access to personal alert systems: JackAlert and Lumberjack Guardian. JackAlert notifies of possible threats and dangers on campus, such as inclement weather or serious crimes. This notification system sends alerts through text message, voice call, email, Facebook, Twitter and on TVs connected to the campus cable provider. To register, SFA students and employees can log in to mySFA and select “Register to get Campus Alerts.”
Likewise, the Lumberjack Guardian mobile app enhances campus safety through real-time interactive features to create a virtual safety network of friends, family and DPS officers. Features include a panic button, tip texting to report crimes anonymously, personal guardians and safety timer, and a safety profile.
Services are in place to help people travel across campus safely. In 2012, the Parking and Traffic Division of the university’s DPS began offering an evening shuttle. This shuttle operates from 5:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Sunday through Thursday weekly during the fall and spring semesters and on special occasions, following a 15-minute route through campus. The shuttles are ADA-compliant and wheelchair accessible. To see the shuttle schedule, visit nextbus.com. People also can request a police escort from campus buildings to shuttle stops.
Prevention trainings are key in keeping the SFA community safe and prepared. Trainings are varied and include courses on alcohol, drug and sexual assault awareness; office, residence hall and personal safety; travel risks; and more.
For more information on the DPS, visit sfasu.edu/dps.
February 19, 2018 - Two Stephen F. Austin State University alumni, Karen Gantt of McKinney and Tom Mason of Dallas, recently participated in their first official meetings as members of the SFA Board of Regents. Brigettee Henderson of Lufkin and Ken Schaefer of Brownsville, who recently completed six-year terms on the board, were reappointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to continue their service to the university.
Gantt is an attorney and partner at the law offices of McCraw Gantt. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the College of the State Bar of Texas, which recognizes lawyers, paralegals and judges who maintain and enhance their skills through significant voluntary participation in legal education. She is a former member of the SFA Alumni Foundation Board of Governors and a past president of SFA’s Alumni Association.
Gantt graduated summa cum laude from SFA with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and was the highest-ranking graduate in her class. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from The University of Texas School of Law, where she was associate editor of The Review of Litigation.
Mason serves as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Hillwood Development, one of the top industrial, commercial and residential real estate developers in the country. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves and received a Bachelor of Science in math and general business from SFA. He is a certified public accountant and serves on the board of the Caruth Village Homeowners Association and is an officer of the Land-Hyland Scholarship Fund.
While attending SFA, Mason was a member of Phi Delta Theta social fraternity, sophomore class vice president, chairman of Greek Week activities, and was elected to Who’s Who Among American Colleges and Universities.
Gantt, Henderson and Mason were appointed to six-year terms. In addition to her reappointment as an SFA regent, Henderson was elected by board members during their meeting to serve as chair of the board. Her term as chair will begin April 24, 2018.
Henderson holds bachelor’s degrees in interior design and communication from SFA and is an independent consulting interior designer and executive assistant at Carnes and Co. Auctioneers. She is secretary of the Angelina Arts Alliance Board of Directors, a member of the Buckner Family Place board of directors, Buckner Family Services Circle of Angels and Junior League of Lufkin Sustainers.
A past board member of the Lufkin Salvation Army, Museum of East Texas and Angelina Beautiful Clean, Henderson is a former chair of the American Cancer Society’s Cattle Baron’s Gala in Angelina County and is past president of the Junior League of Lufkin.
Reappointed to fill the term of the late Barry Nelson, who passed away in November 2016, Schaefer will serve on the board through 2019.
A 1970 graduate of SFA with a Bachelor of Business Administration in economics, Schaefer is owner and president of Schaefer Stevedoring Company, which provides shipping services within the maritime and port logistics industries of the U.S. and Mexico. He is director of the West Gulf Maritime Association and a past board member of the University of Texas Pan American, Texas Commerce Bank, Fondo de Inversion de Veracruz, and Almacenadora Regional del Golfo.
During his first term as regent, Schaefer served as vice chair of the board and as chair of the building and grounds committee and the finance and audit committee.
For more information about the SFA Board of Regents, visit www.sfasu.edu/regents.
February 14, 2018 - The Stephen F. Austin State University Observatory will host its next public viewing session 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, weather permitting, giving visitors the opportunity to see the night sky like they have never seen it before.
Opening its doors to the public periodically throughout the year, the observatory is home to over 15 telescopes, including one formerly used by NASA.
The sessions offer visitors “an opportunity to do what they can’t do at home, and that is see the nighttime sky,” said Dr. Norman Markworth, professor in the Department of Physics, Engineering, and Astronomy and director of the SFA Observatory.
Visitors will have the chance to view the facility’s 41- and 18-inch telescopes and can utilize 8-inch telescopes set up for public use.
Students from the SFA chapter of the Society of Physics Students will assist with use of the telescopes, while visitors receive a quick lesson in sky lore and view constellations and star groups.
Housed 11 miles north of Nacogdoches, the observatory was built in the mid-1970s and has aided in various research efforts. Among its equipment, the observatory boasts an 18-inch telescope originally used by NASA on the Marshall Islands in the 1960s to help find landing sites on the moon.
“The story I heard was NASA wasn’t going to pay to have it shipped back to the U.S.,” Markworth said. “They were going to throw it in the ocean. I don’t know what happened, but they were finally convinced to ship the telescope back, and it lives here now.”
Today, the telescope is primarily used for asteroid hunting, Markworth said. The department also has a 41-inch telescope, built by Markworth and the department, used predominately for variable star research, a 16-inch telescope in a roll-off roof observatory and several other telescopes.
The observatory is used for educational purposes, giving students a place to conduct research and hosting astronomy students several times a week.
“It’s my philosophy that we do what students want done,” Markworth said. “If they want to work on projects, we’ll see that we can do it.”
While the observatory is primarily used for research, viewing sessions are held throughout the year to give the public an opportunity to see what they might not be able to see at home.
“I think humans have always had a curiosity for what that stuff is up there,” Markworth said, “and the more prevalent technology is, the less people actually want to know about stuff in the sky. But if you tell them, they’re really curious. They want to know more.”
The event is free and open to students and visitors of all ages. For large group accommodations, email astro@sfasu.edu.
By Joanna Armstrong, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University
February 12, 2018 Nacogdoches — Stephen F. Austin State University’s School of Human Sciences has launched a new degree program that allows students to earn a four-year degree completely online.
The program, which became available to SFA students in fall 2017, offers an entirely online Bachelor of Science in human sciences with an emphasis in human development and family studies. All core and elective courses are available online.
Dr. Rachel Jumper, assistant professor in SFA’s School of Human Sciences, said the online delivery allows students to earn a bachelor’s degree from a four-year university while working full time and living anywhere.
“We are meeting students ‘where they are’ rather than requiring them to come to us. They have access to the same faculty members, courses and university resources while not having to uproot their lives,” Jumper said. “While the human development and family studies degree has been an online completer program for several years, going fully online allows even more students to become Lumberjacks immediately rather than having to transfer from another school.”
Drs. Lynda Martin, director of the School of Human Sciences, and Hyunsook Kang, assistant professor, agree the online delivery method benefits both the students and university.
“We want to attract more students from diverse populations, which may enhance our quality of education,” Kang said. “An online program’s flexibility and convenience may increase our enrollment.”
With this degree, students learn to become “caretakers for our society,” Jumper said. Students learn to understand the growth, change and development of children, adults and the family while integrating a lifespan, multi-contextual and family systems approach.
Upon graduation, students have a variety of career options, including becoming early intervention specialists, lobbyists, directors of child care and senior citizen facilities, Head Start teachers, parent educators, camp directors and more.
“We are passionate about educating individuals regarding families and lifespan development,” Martin said. “By making this information available online, our reach is much greater, and the theory and research can be shared with more individuals.”
For more information about the program, visit sfaonline.info/human-development-and-family-studies.
By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.
February 12, 2018 Nacogdoches – There’s a line in the show: “ … the best camouflage of all, in my opinion, is the plain and simple truth. Because nobody ever believes it.”
Dr. Richard Jones had long forgotten that line in Max Frisch’s play “(Biedermann and) The Firebugs,” but he remembered this theme from when he first read the play more than 30 years ago.
“I was thinking about some specific episodes in my own life, but especially about the political climate today,” he said. “Ultimately, I was intrigued by the fact that the major surprise in this play is that there are no surprises in this play.”
Jones, professor of theatre at Stephen F. Austin State University, will direct “(Biedermann and) The Firebugs” when the School of Theatre presents it as part of this year’s Mainstage Series.
According to Jones, businessman Gottlieb Biedermann opens the play muttering about how arsonists (“firebugs”) have had so little trouble finagling their way into people’s houses, only to burn them down. And then the doorbell rings…
“Really, everyone knows what’s going to happen within the first 10 minutes,” he explains. “The play is not so much about where we’re going as how we get there.”
The play was originally written as a response to Nazism/Fascism, Jones explained.
“It comes from a moment in time when absurdism took on a political element and, in this case, overlapped with the more overtly political form of epic theatre,” he said. “Playwright Max Frisch was not infrequently accused of Communist sympathies. Certainly his politics leaned a little to the left, but he was really more anti-Nazi than pro-Marxist.”
The play presents its share of challenging moments for a director, Jones said, one of which is that it moves in and out of presentational vs. representational style.
“That is, there are moments when the characters explicitly acknowledge the audience, and moments when the actors pretend not to notice the audience at all,” he said. “It’s also a very funny play, but if it lapses too far into farce, the themes of ethical behavior, moral courage and critical thinking are subordinated.”
Jones said another challenge is the number of new theatre students the play will feature in its cast.
“It’s always a challenge to work with new people,” he said. “I’ve previously directed only two of the 13 actors in this play, and over half the cast wasn’t at SFA a year ago. The newcomers are all great to work with, but it inevitably takes a little more time for them to know what to expect from me, and for me to figure out how help them do their best work.”
Student actors will learn from the mix of styles in the play, and from the many lines (more than usual, according to Jones) that can be interpreted in fundamentally different ways.
“That’s especially challenging, because the temptation is to split the difference, and we end up losing the sense of the moment altogether,” Jones said.
Jones hopes the audience will appreciate and enjoy the humor in the play.
“I hope they have a good time and share a few laughs with us,” he said. “If they leave a little more likely to confront their fears and do the right thing, even at a risk, so much the better.”
The play is appropriate for all ages. However, young children probably would not understand it, but those in mid-teens and up would comprehend its themes.
“(Biedermann and) The Firebugs” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, Feb. 27 through March 3, in W.M. Turner Auditorium in the Griffith Fine Arts Building, 2222 Alumni Drive, on the SFA campus.
Single tickets are $15 for adult, $10 for senior and $7.50 for student/youth. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.theatre.sfasu.edu.
February 8, 2018 - The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre hosts the 2018 UIL One-Act Play Festival Thursday and Friday, Feb. 8 and 9, in Griffith Fine Arts Building on the SFA campus.
Ten East Texas area schools are participating in the event, which includes storytelling, stage combat, lighting design, makeup and other workshops. The festival allows the high school theatre students to “practice perform” their one-act plays, which are critiqued by SFA theatre faculty, before students compete in UIL events later this semester. School of Theatre Director Cleo House Jr. offers suggestions to Central High School students following their performance of “Hansel and Gretel” Thursday morning.
The festival also serves as a recruiting tool, and students have the opportunity to audition for admission to the School of Theatre at the festival’s conclusion.
*An incorrect graduation list was previously published. Below is a corrected graduate list.
Janaury 26, 2018 Nacogdoches - The following 23 students received degrees from Stephen F. Austin State University during December commencement exercises:
Center, TX
- Brandi Sue Denby, Bachelor of Science, Human Sciences, James I. Perkins College of Education
- Carley Brooke Diverdi, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Nursing, College of Sciences and Mathematics
- Brianna N Evans, Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, James I. Perkins College of Education
- Kalaceia Shuntrez Evans, Bachelor of Social Work, Social Work, College of Liberal and Applied Arts
- Bailea Blaine Foehner, Bachelor of Science, Human Sciences, James I. Perkins College of Education
- Jannie Garcia, Bachelor of Social Work, Social Work, College of Liberal and Applied Arts
- Celia Del Rosario Gonzalez, Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, James I. Perkins College of Education
- Brittney Joyetta Hall, Bachelor of Social Work, Social Work, College of Liberal and Applied Arts
- Darby G Hudspeth, Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, James I. Perkins College of Education
- Christina Joann Powell, Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, James I. Perkins College of Education
- Auna Clarise Shofner, Bachelor of Business Administration, General Business, Nelson Rusche College of Buiness
- Lisa Michelle Sigler, Bachelor of Science, Public Administration, College of Liberal and Applied Arts
- Lindsey Nicole Snell, Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, James I. Perkins College of Education
Joaquin, TX
- Hatti A Alexander, Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, Agriculture Development Production, Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture
- Ryleigh Lucretia Yates, Bachelor of Business Administration, Marketing, Nelson Rusche College of Buiness
Shelbyville, TX
- Jessica Marie Kay, Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation Services, James I. Perkins College of Education
- Tiffanee Bree Vaughn, Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, James I. Perkins College of Education
Tenaha, TX
- Jennifer Nicole Roberson, Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, James I. Perkins College of Education
Timpson, TX
- Cade Christian Archer, Bachelor of Science, Computer Science, College of Sciences and Mathematics
- Jace Daniel Archer, Bachelor of Science, Computer Science, College of Sciences and Mathematics
- Alexandria Michelle Bryant, Master of Interdisciplinary Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, College of Liberal and Applied Arts
- Margo Lee Hooper, Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, Agriculture Development, Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture
- Christin Kate Lindgren, Bachelor of Business Administration, Business Communications and Corporate Education, Nelson Rusche College of Buiness
February 5, 2018 - Guest artists Ching-Yi Lin and Andrew Braddock will perform music for violin and viola in a recital at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 11, in Cole Concert Hall on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University.
The concert will feature primarily duets for violin and viola, as well as a solo work for violin, according to Dr. Jennifer Dalmas, professor of violin in the SFA School of Music.
The program includes Violin and Viola Duo No. 1 in G major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Three Caprices by Michael Alec Rose; Violin Solo, Op. 27 Ballade by Eugène Ysaÿe; and Three Madrigals by Bohuslav Martinů.
The first, second and last pieces are duets for violin and viola, Dalmas explained.
“The Mozart duet, composed in 1783, features the two instruments quite equally and is a staple in the violin-viola repertoire,” she said.
The Ysaÿe Sonata No. 3 is from a set of six sonatas that Ysaÿe wrote, each dedicated to a different great violinist of the day. This one, the “Ballade” is dedicated to the Romanian composer and violinist Enescu, who later taught Yehudi Menuhin.
The Three Madrigals by Czech composer Martinů is one of the most well-known and frequently performed 20th century compositions for violin and viola duet.
“Inspired in part by the Mozart duets, the piece also shows the influence of the English Madrigal, for which the composition is named,” Dalmas said.
Lin is associate professor of violin and director of the Pre-College Strings Program at Western Kentucky University. Recent performances and master classes have taken her to the Barratt Due Institute of Music in Norway, Shenyang and Xi’an Conservatories in China, Northwestern University, the University of British Columbia, and Louisiana State University. During the summer months, Lin serves on the faculty at the Indiana University (IU) Summer String Academy and WKU Summer String Institute, and she has also served on the faculty of the Sommersymfoni i Kristiansand in Norway and University of North Texas Summer String Institute in Texas.
Braddock is currently on the faculty of Western Kentucky University and its Pre-College Strings Program. He teaches viola at the university and maintains a full pre-college studio of young violinists and violists. He also serves as the director of the Summer String Institute. In addition to his many recital performances in the Kentucky area, Braddock has performed in Israel, Austria, Indiana, New York and Colorado. He is the principal violist of the Paducah Symphony Orchestra, and he has been a member of the Evansville Philharmonic and Owensboro Symphony Orchestras.
The guest artists will teach a master class, which is free and open to the public, at 2 p.m. that day in the Music Recital Hall, located in Wright Music Building.
Concert tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.
February 3, 2018 - Stephen F. Austin State University is partnering with Lone Star College to offer students in the Houston area an opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Business Administration in sports business from SFA without having to relocate. The two institutions also will sign an articulation agreement to ensure a smooth transition for Lone Star College students to attend SFA.
A signing ceremony commemorating this collaboration is scheduled for 2 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Lone Star College University Center in The Woodlands. The ceremony is open to the public.
Students at Lone Star College will be able to enroll in SFA’s sports business program beginning in fall 2018. Classes will be offered face-to-face at the Lone Star College University Center in The Woodlands and will be taught by SFA faculty members. Students must complete the required core curriculum before entering the program. Business foundation courses will primarily be offered online through SFA’s Rusche College of Business.
Dr. Jason Reese, sports business program director and assistant professor at SFA, has been instrumental in establishing this program and is looking forward to the opportunities it will provide to SFA and Houston students.
“Some Houston-area students have a desire to attend SFA, but for various reasons are unable to move to Nacogdoches,” Reese said. “This program will allow them the opportunity to complete the program and earn a bachelor’s degree without relocating.”
Reese added that through this partnership, Houston students will be able to take classes while benefiting from already-established relationships that SFA has with area sports organizations, including professional sport teams like the Houston Astros, Houston Texans, Houston Rockets and Houston Dynamo.
To apply for the program, visit lonestar.edu/university-center/SFA.htm.
For more information, contact Reese at (936) 468-1465 or reesejd1@sfasu.edu.
By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.
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