SFA University
April 12, 2017 Nacogdoches — Seven Stephen F. Austin State University faculty members were recognized April 11 for their teaching abilities during the annual Teaching Excellence Convocation.
“At SFA, excellence in teaching is at the core of our mission. These honorees represent not only themselves but also many others who are the best in education,” said Dr. Steve Bullard, SFA provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Our mission at SFA is to engage students in a learner-centered environment. This year’s honorees are exemplars of this mission in action.”
The Teaching Excellence Awards were established in 1994 to honor outstanding classroom teachers at SFA. Each of the university's six colleges selects a faculty member to receive the annual award based on knowledge of subject matter, quality of lectures and assignments, enthusiasm for teaching, interest in and availability to students, commitment to continuous improvement, and contribution to the quality of teaching at SFA by assisting and encouraging other faculty members. The 2017 recipients are as follows:
Rusche College of Business
Dr. Kyle Jones, associate professor of finance, joined the Rusche College of Business faculty in 2000. He earned his doctoral degree in finance from the University of Mississippi, and his Master of Science in business administration and bachelor’s degree in computer science from Georgia Southwestern College.
Jones serves as a faculty advisor for the nationally recognized and award-winning Mast Student Investment Roundtable and holds the Certified Financial Analyst designation. His teaching and research interests include international finance, corporate and managerial finance, and risk management.
James I. Perkins College of Education
Dr. Christina Sinclair, interim associate dean for assessment and accountability for the College of Education and associate professor, joined SFA’s Department of Kinesiology and Health Science moving from the University of Northern Colorado, where she worked for 12 years. Sinclair received tenure in 2006.
Sinclair graduated with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Texas at San Antonio, a master’s degree in education from Sul Ross State University and a doctoral degree in physical education with a minor in educational psychology from the University of New Mexico.
Sinclair’s areas of interest include participation in physical activity, especially through quality kindergarten through 12th grade physical education, and increasing children’s intrinsically motivated free-time physical activity. She helps teachers, as well as SFA students, learn about creating accessible climates in physical activity settings, alternative curriculum, instructional models and assessment.
College of Fine Arts
In 1995, Dr. David A. Lewis, professor of art history in SFA’s School of Art, joined the SFA faculty after previously teaching modern art at the University of Georgia and Hamilton College. He graduated cum laude from the University of Southern Indiana with a bachelor’s degree in art and philosophy. He earned his Master of Arts and doctoral degree in art history from Indiana University.
Lewis’ responsibilities on campus include mentoring students as art editor for the SFASU Press. He served as director of the School of Art. He also oversaw the development of an off-campus gallery, which is now the Ed and Gwen Cole Art Center, and co-founded LaNana Creek Press as editor.
Lewis’ contributions to the university include expanding the art and photographic history curriculum, promoting a course in professional practices and establishing a graduate certificate program in museum studies. Additionally, Lewis initiated SFA’s School of Art’s exchange program with Libera Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence, Italy, and he has organized more than 30 exhibitions.
Among his notable publications are studies of American artists Rico Lebrun, Corinne Michael West and John Heliker. Lewis is an authority on the work of photographer Frank Dituri. Some of Lewis’ articles have been translated into Italian, Russian and Spanish.
Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture
Dr. Joey Bray, chair of the Department of Agriculture and associate professor, joined SFA’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture in 2002. He also serves as director of poultry science, which includes SFA’s Broiler Research Center and Poultry Research Center.
Bray received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in agriculture from SFA and his doctoral degree in poultry management from Texas A&M University. He teaches numerous undergraduate and graduate poultry science courses and introductory livestock anatomy and physiology for the animal science curriculum at SFA.
His research focuses on poultry management practices such as nutritional feed additives, poultry health, poultry lighting, poultry husbandry and welfare, and the environmental impacts of commercial poultry production.
College of Liberal and Applied Arts
Dr. Jessie Sams, associate professor of linguistics in the Department of English and Creative Writing, joined the SFA faculty in 2009. She earned her Bachelor of Science in English from Truman State University and both her Master of Arts and doctoral degree in linguistics from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Her primary teaching and research interests include English grammar, history of the English language and invented languages.
College of Sciences and Mathematics
In 2008, Dr. Joe Musser, associate professor, joined the faculty of SFA’s Department of Physics, Engineering and Astronomy. Musser received a Bachelor of Science in education from West Texas State University in 1988 and his doctoral degree in physics from Texas A&M University in 2006.
Prior to joining the SFA faculty, Musser taught calculus, physics and physical science at Caprock High School in Amarillo.
In 2011, the Optical Society honored Musser, and in 2012, he was awarded the Patent and Innovation Award from Texas A&M University System’s Office of Technology Commercialization. He was elected to serve on the executive board of the Texas Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers in 2010.
His research interests include environmental sensing, natural photonic structures, quantum optics and physics pedagogy.
Adjunct Teaching
Marie Kelly is a lecturer in the Schlief School of Accountancy in the Rusche College of Business. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration and master’s degree from SFA.
As a Texas teacher certified in mathematics and business, Kelly taught at Douglass ISD for 13 years. She also is a Certified Public Accountant and holds the Chartered Global Management Accountant certification. Prior to joining SFA in 1987, Kelly worked in public accounting and in private industry.
Her teaching and research interests include financial and managerial accounting, accounting ethics and learning techniques among undergraduate accounting students. She is active in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Texas Society of CPAs and the East Texas Chapter of CPAs. She also received TSCPA’s Outstanding Accounting Educator Award in 2015.
April 10, 2017 Nacogdoches – The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre will present the student-directed, full-length play “This is Our Youth” by Kenneth Lonergan at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 21, and at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 22, in the Downstage Theatre on the SFA campus.
Houston senior theatre student Jason Trevino is the director. He describes the play as the story of “three pot-smoking teenagers” who, in 1982, “resoundingly reject the 1960s ideals of their affluent parents.”
“In hilarious and bittersweet detail, ‘Youth’ follows 48 turbulent hours in the lives of three very lost souls at the dawn of the Reagan era,” he explained. The play is recommended for mature audiences.
Lonergan is perhaps best known as the Academy Award-winning writer and director of the 2016 movie "Manchester by the Sea." Other well-known screenplays include "Analyze This" (1999) and Martin Scorsese's "Gangs of New York" (2002).
The cast includes Needville sophomore Alex Duty as Warren; Jacksonville junior James Burns as Dennis; and Grand Prairie sophomore Hope Kidd as Jessica.
The production staff includes Reagan Moore, Richmond junior, stage manager; Bobby Britton, Angleton senior, assistant director; Taylor Dobbs, Baytown senior, scenic designer; Rachel Bollinger, Austin junior, costume designer; Jessica Benson, Chandler junior, lighting designer; Wyatt Gaubatz, Needville freshman, sound designer; Courtney Satterfield, Hutton junior, assistant stage manager; and Danika Pettyjohn, Fort Worth senior, properties master.
Trevino is a Bachelor of Fine Arts acting/directing candidate. “This is Our Youth” is his third directing project at SFA. Following this semester, Trevino hopes to undertake an internship at a regional theatre to complete the requirements for his degree.
Faculty production advisor is Scott Shattuck.
Tickets are $6. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit theatre.sfasu.edu. The Downstage Theatre is located in the Griffith Fine Arts Building, 2222 Alumni Drive.
April 4, 2017 NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Stephen F. Austin State University theatre students traveling to Scotland’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe this summer to produce the student-written play “Closed For Repairs” recently performed it before the playwright’s home audience at the Brazosport Center of Arts and Sciences.
The semi-autobiographical play by Bobby Britton, senior theatre student from Angleton, was performed as a fundraiser to help defray the students’ expenses for the trip. The Brazosport venue is where Britton got his start in community theatre, according to SFA Professor of Theatre Angela Bacarisse. SFA School of Theatre alumnus Wes Copeland is chairman of the board for Brazosport Center Stages.
“They were super generous, giving us the space and technical assistance as well as publicizing the event and running box office for us,” Bacarisse said.
Bacarisse and Slade Billew, assistant professor of acting/directing at SFA, will lead the group through its festival performances in Edinburgh.
Britton’s “jukebox-musical,” which he wrote last fall, is about a young man’s struggle to accept himself as it relates to his faith. It will be performed in Fringe Venue 45, the same theatre in which SFA students performed when they attended the festival in 2015. Bacarisse is hoping for similar educational experiences and opportunities for SFA’s theatre students again this year. Students Jason Trevino and Anais Saenz participated in 2015 and will return to the festival this year.
“They had an opportunity to see theatre companies from all over the world perform,” she said. “They were so excited to talk to each other and recommend the shows that they had seen. They also made friends with the students who were participating from other universities. It’s a great networking opportunity.”
Begun in 1947, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, one of several festivals that will take place in Edinburgh while the SFA students are there, has become the largest international theatre arts festival in the world. During festival season, which is three weeks in August, the International Festival, the Festival Fringe, jazz festival, art festival and book festival all take place in Edinburgh.
The festival’s advertising about the upcoming SFA production describes it as: “SFA student Bobby Britton’s semi-autobiographical play leads us on a young man’s journey to discover his personal truth in a conservative Texas town. Blending honest dialogue, contemporary songs, and powerful movement, this ensemble-driven piece takes on issues of identity and acceptance in the Bible belt. As the play moves through moments of intense despair and transcendent joy, performers use their bodies and voices to create the world of small town America, exploring the realities of feeling alone in the Lone Star State. The play is intended for mature audiences.”
As a company, the students are responsible for venue rental fees, travel, equipment rental, and publicity and marketing, and fundraising efforts are important to the success of the trip, Bacarisse said. Students house manage, run the lighting and soundboards and stage-manage for their performances. The total cost per student is approximately $5,000, which includes airfare and room and board.
“We are so grateful for everyone who supports the arts and our students,” she said. “Allowing them the opportunity to tour a show, perform abroad and learn more about our global community is a great gift.”
Tax-exempt donations for the trip can be made at sfasu.edu/giving by clicking on the “give online” tab and writing “Scotland trip” for special instructions.
March 31, 2017 Nacogdoches – A former director of bands at Stephen F. Austin State University will be honored when the SFA Wind Ensemble performs at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 11, at the Eisemann Center for Performing Arts in Richardson.
Honoree John L. Whitwell was director of bands in the School of Music from 1987 to 1993 and was inducted into the SFA Band Directors Hall of Fame in 2011. Whitwell will be honored at the concert for his years of service to the profession, and most notably, for his six years as director of bands at SFA. He will guest conduct “Irish Tune from the County Derry” by Percy Grainger.
The concert is an outreach effort to alumni and potential future students living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, explained Fred J. Allen, SFA’s director of bands. The SFA Alumni Association has provided information about the event to alumni living in the area, and the band office is emailing invitations to band directors living within an approximate 60-mile radius of Richardson.
“The concert will appeal to everyone,” Allen said. “We are playing a march by John Philip Sousa, yet we are also playing pieces written in the last five years.”
Whitwell retired from his position as director of bands, professor of music and chair of the conducting area at Michigan State University in 2009. At MSU, he conducted the Wind Symphony and guided the graduate degree programs in wind conducting.
Prior to his appointment at MSU, Whitwell held positions at SFA and Abilene Christian University. He also taught in the public schools of Michigan as band director at Ann Arbor Huron and Northwest Jackson high schools.
His bands have performed for the College Band Directors National Association Convention, Texas Music Educators Association Clinic-Convention, Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, and Midwestern Conference on Vocal and Instrumental Music. He is past-president of the Big Ten Band Directors Association, president of the North Central Division of the College Band Directors National Association, and member of the board of directors of the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic.
Whitwell maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor and clinician throughout the United States. He has received many honors, including “Band Teacher of the Year” award by the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association; “Citation of Excellence” award by the National Band Association in 1980 and 1985; Kappa Kappa Psi “Distinguished Service to Music” award; American School Band Directors Association “Edwin Franko Goldman” award; and the Michigan State University “Distinguished Professor” award.
The concert will also feature David Campo, SFA’s associate director of bands, conducting “Mare Tranquillitatis” by Roger Zare. Tamey Anglley, assistant director of bands at SFA, will conduct “Whirlwind" by Steven Bryant.
Featured work on the concert program will be two movements from David Maslanka’s Symphony No. 2.
“This is an epic work, full of emotion and power,” Allen said. The second movement is based on the spiritual “Deep River” and is dedicated to the crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger.
The SFA Alumni Association will host a reception following the concert. Tickets may be purchased online at www.eisemanncenter.com.
March 29, 2017 NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Beta Phi cast of Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society at Stephen F. Austin State University will host a playwriting workshop with SFA’s playwright-in-residence, Jack Heifner.
The workshop is scheduled for 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 9, in Room 303 of the Griffith Fine Arts Building on the SFA campus. Cost is $20 for community members and $10 for students attending any college or university.
Led by Broadway playwright Heifner, the workshop is an introductory course designed for those who have little or no playwriting experience.
"Each year that we host this event, we have a wonderful turnout, including high school students, SFA faculty and students as well as members of the Nacogdoches community,” Heifner said. “If you are interested in playwriting, this is an introductory workshop with exercises to help you get over your fear of facing the blank page or blank computer screen.”
Organizers recommend not attending if you have taken Heifner’s playwriting course in the past. Participants should bring writing utensils and paper.
Seating is limited to 30, and payment will be taken at the door in cash or check form. Proceeds benefit Alpha Psi Omega scholarships. Participants should RSVP to apobetaphi@gmail.com to reserve a seat.
Submitted by Robbie Goodrich
March 23, 2017 Nacogdoches — Future college students will have the opportunity to experience a taste of campus life during a free, action-packed open-house Saturday, March 25, at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches.
Prospective students will have the opportunity to visit with university faculty and staff members, tour the campus and residence halls, and preview academic programs during the SFA Showcase Saturday event.
"There is no better time than Showcase Saturday to visit the beautiful SFA campus and witness firsthand what it's like to be a Lumberjack," said Jessica Maynard, assistant director of SFA's Office of Admissions.
"Guests are encouraged to visit one-on-one with our faculty members to learn more about our quality, personalized academic programs, and our staff members will be available to answer questions about everything from admission requirements to financial aid to residence life," Maynard added.
SFA is a comprehensive, residential university located in the heart of Texas Forest Country. Approximately 13,000 students attend SFA, which is within a few hours' drive of Texas' major metropolitan areas.
Showcase Saturday event registration will begin at 11:45 a.m. on the first floor of the Baker Pattillo Student Center and will remain open until 12:45 p.m. Each person who registers will receive an information packet. The opening program begins at 12:45 p.m. and will provide an overview of the day's events.
Guests will then be able to visit with representatives of the academic departments until 4 p.m. at the Academic Fair in the Student Recreation Center. A Student Services Fair will be held from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on the first floor of the Baker Pattillo Student Center.
Campus and residence hall tours will begin at 1:30 p.m. and continue until 5 p.m. Campus tours will take students on a guided walk of the SFA campus, while the self-guided residence hall tours will showcase several halls on both the north and south ends of campus.
Admissions counselors will be available to discuss admission procedures and requirements from 1:30 to 5 p.m. in the Rusk Building, Room 206, and at several freshman and transfer admissions sessions held throughout the day.
Financial aid information sessions will be held at 2:30, 3:15 and 4 p.m. in the Baker Pattillo Student Center's Twilight Ballroom. Residence Life information sessions will be held at 2:30, 3:15 and 4 p.m. in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Theater on the second floor.
Participating prospective students will receive a free SFA T-shirt after completing an evaluation form in the tent located in the courtyard area of the Rusk Building.
For more information about SFA's Showcase Saturday, contact the SFA Office of Admissions at (936) 468-2504 or email admissions@sfasu.edu.
March 9, 2017 - NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House, Stephen F. Austin State University’s historic downtown art gallery, will be open regular hours during spring break.
Currently showing is the exhibition “Andy Warhol: Art Is Anything You Can Get Away With.” The show features a small slice of the renowned artist’s enormous oeuvre, in particular, his “Silver Clouds” – helium-filled silver clouds that drift in the air. The exhibition also includes three of his large screen prints and several of his Polaroid photos.
Making the exhibition possible are The Andy Warhol Museum, The Andy Warhol Foundation and Texas Christian University. It is sponsored in part by the SFA Friends of the Visual Arts, Nacogdoches Junior Forum and the Texas Commission on the Arts, which is the state affiliate the National Endowment of the Arts.
The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. Regular hours are from 12:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The art center will observe regular hours March 22 through March 25 but will be closed the following two weeks for the installation of Texas National 2017, which opens Saturday evening, April 8.
Griffith Gallery in the Griffith Fine Arts Building on the SFA campus will be closed during spring break and will reopen Tuesday, March 21. Showing is “The Collector Collects: Art from Private Nacogdoches Collections.” Regular hours are from 12:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday during fall and spring semesters.
For more information, call (936) 468-1131.
Submitted by Robbie Goodrich
March 2, 2017 Nacogdoches – The Orchestra of the Pines at Stephen F. Austin State University will present the program “With a Stroke of a Pen” at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 6, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.
The concert, which will feature the world premiere of “Fantasy: Beyond the Forest” by SFA music composition student Kyle Henkel of Argyle, includes a program of music in which each piece tells a story of suspect and mystery, according to Gene H. Moon, director of orchestras at SFA. Henkel is the winner of this year’s composition competition in the SFA School of Music.
“Many things in life have been done at the stroke of a pen,” Moon said. “Laws are written, poetry is created, and music is composed, all at the stroke of a pen. ‘With a Stroke of a Pen’ presents music with an intriguing backstory that shows how music either reinforces or even sends a message to its audience.”
Moon describes Henkel’s piece as “a unique work utilizing extended techniques on nearly all instruments, creating sonorities rather than melody, which evokes a pensive attitude toward his impressions.”
“It is a very eclectic work of daring instrumental capabilities that pushes the colors of the orchestral timbre and asks listeners to use their strongest imagination in understanding Henkel’s music,” he said.
Three selections that will surround Henkel’s work are Sergei Prokofiev’s Lieutenant Kije Suite, the first movement of Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 8 in B minor, commonly known as the “Unfinished Symphony,” and Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 45 in F-sharp minor, known as “Farewell.”
“Each of these works has a unique story created either by the mishap of a pen stroke or by disguise through the same manner to convey a story,” Moon said.
The concert is a presentation of the College of Fine Arts and School of Music. Cole Concert Hall is located in the Tom and Peggy Wright Music Building.
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 (888) 240-ARTS or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.
Submitted by Robbie Goodrich
February 25, 2017 Nacogdoches — Within seconds, she is transported into a human cell much like the characters from the animated “Magic School Bus” series. All around her the smallest unit of life comes into focus.
No, this isn’t a scene from a science fiction movie. It’s a virtual reality simulation at Stephen F. Austin State University’s Steen Library.
This week, the Steen Library officially opened its new Emerging Technologies Lab complete with two HTC Vive virtual reality rooms, four Oculus Rift stationary experiences and two 3-D printers.
“I think this is one of the most exciting things that has happened on campus in a while that was specifically made to benefit students,” said Kreg Mosier, head of library web services.
Mosier and Edward Iglesias, web services librarian, have been the driving forces behind this endeavor.
“It’s a relatively unique thing in higher education to have this technology,” Iglesias said. “You can have VR and 3-D printing in engineering labs or specific departments within a university, but it’s rare to have it in the library where everyone can use it.”
SFA is a pioneer in housing this type of virtual technology in a central environment. Mosier said making the technology available to all students was important and makes SFA stand out from other universities.
“This lab is aligned with our student success initiative. I think of it as a value-added experience,” Mosier said. “We are giving students something they may not otherwise get to experience.”
In this virtual-reality-based makerspace, students can immerse into dozens of different scenarios and places such as the human cell or thousands of leagues under sea — all by slipping on the HTC Vive goggles. The two virtual reality rooms allow users the ability to move around during their virtual reality simulation while the Oculus Rift experience requires users to remain seated.
“We are doing something new and trying to create a compelling experience and toolset for students,” Mosier said. “The thing that makes me the proudest is the small ecosystem that has developed. A student can create something in 3-D on the computer, view it in virtual reality and then print it in 3-D, which is something I thought was science fiction as a kid.”
Users can create items in programs such as Tilt Brush and Oculus Medium and then print their creations in 3-D using the lab’s two 3-D printers. During a class visit and lesson, Emily Schneider, SFA senior advertising major from Dallas, did just that and was enthusiastic about her experience.
“This is an amazing experience for students especially since it’s free,” Schneider said. “I think it’s fun for students because they get to try something that is usually not available to them.”
SFA students, faculty and staff members are welcome to use the lab, which is located behind the circulation desk on the first floor of the library. Mosier and Iglesias said they are willing to work with faculty and staff members to maximize the lab’s academic potential.
For more information, contact Mosier at kmosier@sfasu.edu or Iglesias at igelsiase@sfasu.edu.
A limited number of free admission tickets are available at Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce
February 23, 2017 Nacogdoches – The SFA Ladyjack and Lumberjack basketball teams are ready for Cram the Coliseum when they take on Northwestern State on Thursday, March 2. The women's game begins at 5:30 p.m., and the men's game will start at 8 p.m. in the William R. Johnson Coliseum at the intersection of E. College St. and University Dr.
"Cram the Coliseum is the perfect opportunity for the community to support the partnership the Nacogdoches County Chamber has with SFA Athletics," said Ted Smith, chamber of commerce Vice Chairman Community Development. "Plus, we are looking at a high-level of rivalry with Northwestern State, so no one would want to miss these games."
All Nacogdoches County Chamber members received 10 tickets in the February mail packet.
"The tickets can be shared with anyone, including employees and coworkers, clients and customers, family and friends," Smith said. "A limited number of tickets are also available and ready for pick up at the chamber."
Cram the Coliseum tickets are compliments of SFA Athletics Department. For all SFA athletic event schedules, please visit www.sfajacks.com. Go to www.nacogdoches.org for more information about this and other Nacogdoches County Chamber events or call 936-560-5533.
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