SFA University
January 25, 2017 NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Internationally renowned violinist Chloé Trevor, who will serve as an adjudicator at Saturday’s prestigious George and Peggy Schmidbauer Young Artist Competition at Stephen F. Austin State University, will perform a guest recital at 7:30 p.m. Friday, January 27, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.
Trevor, who has appeared as a soloist with orchestras worldwide, including the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Latvian Chamber Orchestra, Slovak State Philharmonic, Plano Symphony and the Knoxville Symphony, will be joined by pianist Jonathan Tsay. She made her New York concerto debut in 2013 and Avery Fisher Hall debut in 2014.
Trevor’s recent performances included a tour with the Latvian Chamber Orchestra in Riga, Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto with the Dallas Symphony and Prokofiev's 2nd Concerto both at Sala São Paulo in Brazil and with the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra as a result of winning the Cleveland Institute of Music's Concerto Competition.
She went on to perform Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto with the Houston Symphony and recitals at the Music in the Mountains Festival with pianist David Korevaar.
The 2017 distinguished panel of adjudicators for Saturday night’s final round of the Schmidbauer Competition include Trevor, conductor Richard Lee of the East Texas Symphony Orchestra and pianist James Cho.
The recital is free and open to the public. For more information about the Schmidbauer Competition, contact Moon at (936) 468-3885 or moongh@sfasu.edu or visit www.schmidbauercompetition.org.
January 19, 2017 - Panola College and Stephen F. Austin State University have entered into an agreement that will create a seamless transition allowing students in technical programs at Panola to transfer coursework toward a Bachelor of Applied Arts & Sciences (BAAS) at SFASU.
Administrators from both Panola College and SFASU met Thursday, Jan. 12, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding establishing the partnership. Beginning in fall 2017, Panola College students who have earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in an energy technology program may transfer the required 45 technical hours and complete a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree at SFASU.
Dr. Greg Powell, Panola College President, said the agreement paves the way for students who wish to further their education beyond the Associate of Applied Science degree.
“Panola College has a high level of cooperation and leadership with SFA. When we have people on our advisory boards tell us that employees who have completed associate degrees at Panola College have the potential to move into management roles that require bachelor’s degrees, we want to step up to the plate and help them,” he said.
The agreement includes a dual admissions process, with applications and transcripts going to both Panola College and SFA at the time the students register and declare their intention to work towards the BAAS degree.
Initially, the agreement benefits students who have completed associate degrees in an Energy Technology program and wish to start the bachelor’s degree program in fall 2017. The second degree included in the articulation agreement is for a BAAS degree in Ranch & Land Management. This new technical area was piloted at Panola in 2016, and courses for the associate degree will be in place in fall 2017.
The Ranch & Land Management program provides practical and educational experiences in animal science, basic electrical, mechanical engines, soil science, whitetail deer management, and pasture management. Ranch & Land Management majors will be prepared to manage farms, ranches and other agricultural businesses.
The School of Energy at Panola College offers Associate of Applied Science degrees in Electrical & Instrumentation, Natural Gas Compression, Petroleum Technology, and Welding Technology.
The SFASU Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) allows students to apply credits earned through community college vocational or technical programs, military training, and occupational licensure or certification toward completion of a bachelor’s degree.
“SFA is the university of choice for Panola College students,” said Dr. Joe Shannon, Vice President of Instruction. “We are excited about the opportunity to work with SFA to provide our technical students with bachelor’s degree options.”
Panola College administrators and faculty members participating in the signing were Dr. Powell; Dr. Shannon; Don Clinton, Vice President Student Services; Troy Caserta, Vice President for Fiscal Services; Jessica Pace, Director of Institutional Advancement; Natalie Oswalt, Dean of Professional & Technical Programs; Jeremy Dorman, Registrar; Daniel Hall, Department Chair, School of Energy; Jim Permenter, Professor, School of Energy; Michael Pace, Instructor, School of Energy; Ernest Spencer, Professor, School of Energy; Laura Vance, Professor, School of Energy, and Tim Singletary, Professor, School of Energy.
SFASU administrators at the event included Dr. Baker Pattillo, President; Dr. Steve Westbrook, Vice President for University Affairs; Dr. Steve Bullard, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dr. Danny Gallant, Vice President for Finance and Administration; Jill Still, Vice President for University Advancement; Dr. Brian Murphy, Dean, College of Liberal and Applied Arts (CLAA); Dr. Hans Williams, Interim Dean, Arthur Temple College of Forestry & Agriculture; Dr. Marc Guidry, Associate Dean, CLAA; Dr. Steve Cooper, Associate Dean, CLAA; and Carolyn Hardy, Assistant Director, Admissions and Transfer Services.
January 16, 2017 Nacogdoches – The School of Theatre at Stephen F. Austin State University will join hundreds of other theatre communities across the nation – from Broadway to regional theaters to high schools and colleges and community theaters – on Thursday, January 19, by participating in The Ghostlight Project.
Inspired by the tradition of leaving a "ghost light" on in a darkened theatre, artists and communities will make or renew a pledge to stand for and protect the values of inclusion, participation and compassion for everyone – regardless of race, class, religion, country of origin, immigration status, (dis)ability, gender identity or sexual orientation, according to information at theghostlightproject.com.
Gathering at 5:30 p.m. on and around the veranda of Griffith Fine Arts Building on the SFA campus, participants will join in a collective, simultaneous action, literally and figuratively bringing light to the darkness, according to Dr. Rick Jones, professor of theatre and interim director of the SFA School of Theatre.
Jones explains that, “This is about respecting and valuing those who are different from us in terms of demographic profile, but it’s also about extending that same concern for those who disagree with us philosophically or politically.
“As theatre people, we understand that you don’t have to be a monarchist to appreciate Racine, or a Communist to appreciate Brecht, or a Hindu to appreciate Kalidasa,” he said. “But sometimes it’s harder to translate that into our everyday lives.”
The public, especially but not exclusively members of the arts community, is invited to attend. Attendees should bring a light that can be readily turned on and off – a cell phone flashlight, regular flashlight, glow stick, etc. Promptly at 5:30, all will light their lights together in a show of solidarity, Jones said.
As of January 13, 42 states had indicated on the project’s Facebook page that theatre communities within those states had partner groups planning to participate.
The national project aims to create brave spaces that will serve as lights in the coming years, and to activate a network of people across the country working to support vulnerable communities.
Visit theghostlightproject.com for more information. Locally, contact the School of Theatre at (936) 468-4003.
January 14, 2017 - NACOGDOCHES, Texas – An exhibition of works by the late Andy Warhol will open with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, in The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.
The exhibition – Andy Warhol: Art Is Anything You Can Get Away With – will feature a small slice of the artist’s enormous oeuvre, in particular, his “Silver Clouds” – helium-filled silver clouds that drift in the air, according to John Handley, director of galleries at Stephen F. Austin State University.
According to information found at www.warhol.org, “‘Silver Clouds’ continually surprises viewers’ expectations and is the result of a collaboration between artist Andy Warhol and engineer Billy Klüver. Exhibited in 1966 at the Leo Castelli Gallery, ‘Silver Clouds’ created an ethereal, joyful atmosphere, and challenged traditional expectations of art by mingling with and touching the viewer. Klüver’s knowledge of technology helped bring Warhol’s vision to life. The engineer recalls that their original plan was to somehow make floating light bulbs, but that when his research group at Bell Labs showed Warhol a sample of the material scotchpak – a metalized plastic film made by 3M that could be heat-sealed – he is reported to have said, ‘Let’s make clouds.’ The clouds, filled with helium and oxygen, floated through the gallery on air currents, bumping into each other and into viewers in the space.”
“The premiere of ‘Silver Clouds’ at the Castelli Gallery was accompanied by Warhol’s now iconic wallpaper, in this case, his silkscreen pink cow heads on yellow background,” Handley said. “For the exhibition at the Cole, a portion of this original presentation will be recreated.”
The exhibition will also include three of his large screen prints and several of his Polaroid photos.
An American artist who was a leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol’s works explore the relationship between artistic expression, celebrity culture and advertisement that flourished by the 1960s.
“To this day, Warhol’s influence on American art is studied and analyzed by art historians,” Handley said.
Warhol first worked as a commercial illustrator for magazine and other publications. He later became a renowned, often misunderstood and sometimes controversial artist, Handley said. He worked in many types of media, including drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, silkscreen, sculpture, film and music.
“His studio, know as The Factory, was a well-known gathering place that attracted both distinguished intellectuals and those on the fringe of society,” Handley explained.
This exhibition is made possible by the 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, SFA’s historic gallery, is located at 329 E. Main St. For more information, call (936) 468-1131.
January 13, 2017 - NACOGDOCHES – Dr. Shauna Thompson, assistant professor of flute at Texas Christian University, will perform in a guest recital at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, in Cole Concert Hall on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus.
Performing with Dr. Ron Petti, director of accompanying for the SFA School of Music, Thompson’s program will feature works of G.P. Telemann, Eugene Bozza, Martin Blessinger, David Loeb and Jules Mouquet.
Thompson is coordinator of the Professional Flute Choir Competition for the National Flute Association and has previously served as co-chair for the Texas Flute Society’s annual festival. She has been a featured performer at National Flute Association conventions and has been a prizewinner at numerous national flute competitions. She has performed with orchestras and symphonies in Cincinnati, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa and Fort Worth. She performs in the DFW area as a member of Metroplex Flutes.
Thompson’s guest performance is part of the School of Music’s Cole Performing Arts Series. 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.
December 20, 2016 NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art and the Friends of the Visual Arts will present a free, one-night screening of “Inequality For All” at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6, in The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.
In this 2013 film by Jacob Kornbluth, former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich discusses the economic and social consequences that may result if the gap between rich and poor continues to widen. A best-selling author of 13 books, Reich is Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy at UC-Berkley. He is considered an expert on economics.
In directing the film, Kornbluth said he drew on his personal experiences as a child living in extreme poverty to “make a film that a wide variety of people can connect to.”
“The film I hope we made is one that educates at the same time it inspires,” Kornbluth said, “and speaks to what we can hope for to make America better.”
”Inequality For All” won a Special Jury Prize at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and Best Documentary Film at the Traverse City Film Festival the same year.
This screening is part of the School of Art’s monthly Friday Film Series and is sponsored in part by William Arscott, Nacogdoches Film Festival, Karon Gillespie, Mike Mollot, David Kulhavy, Brad Maule, John and Kristen Heath, Galleria Z, Jill Carrington, Jean Stephens, Jim and Mary Neal, Richard Orton, Main Street Nacogdoches and Nacogdoches Junior Forum.
The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. For more information, call (936) 468-1131.
December 13, 2016 – The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts and School of Music will present Gian Carlo Menotti’s “Amahl and the Night Visitors” at 6 p.m. Thursday, December 15, and at 11 a.m. Friday, December 16, in Cole Concert Hall in the Wright Music Building on the SFA campus.
“Amahl and the Night Visitors,” a 45-minute Christmas opera performed in English, has delighted audiences since its television premiere in 1951. The Three Kings, on their search for the Christ Child, stop for the night at the home of a widow and her young, disabled son.
“This touching – and often funny – tale will leave a lasting impression and is a perfect introduction to opera for children of all ages,” said Dr. Scott LaGraff, SFA associate professor of voice.
Noble Peck, son of Dr. and Mrs. Adam Peck, will sing the title role of Amahl. SFA Dance Program students Ashley Jensen and Montrell Releford are dancers, and Haley Hoss Jameson, associate professor of dance, will serve as choreographer.
Other cast members for the Thursday night performance include Julie Moore, Tyler senior, as the mother; Zachary Thomas Newman, Baytown graduate student, as Kaspar; Andrew Michael Sanchez, San Antonio senior, as Melchior; and Brenton Mattox, Dayton graduate student, as Balthazar. Friday performance cast members are Kelsey Quinn, San Antonio graduate student, as the mother; René Rodriguez, Houston senior, as Kaspar; Roland Rodriguez, Houston senior, as Melchior; and E.J. Grayson, Houston senior, as Balthazar. Jacob Rivas, The Colony junior, is Page for both performances.
The opera is part of the School of Music’s Cole Performing Arts Series.
Tickets for the Thursday night performance are $8 for adults and $6 for seniors, students and youth. Tickets for the Friday morning performance are $6 for individuals and $5 each for groups of 20 or more. For tickets or information, visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu or call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS.
December 12, 2016 NACOGDOCHES, Texas — State Rep. and Stephen F. Austin State University alumnus Jason Isaac will offer the commencement address during SFA’s fall graduation ceremonies Saturday, December 17.
Isaac graduated SFA with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1996 with a major in marketing and a minor in management. He met his wife, Carrie, in a history class at SFA, and the couple married a few years after graduation. During his time at SFA, Isaac founded the university’s lacrosse team, which is still active today, and he was president of the Association of Sports Clubs.
After graduation, Isaac worked in the transportation industry marketing technology to help improve the safety and efficiency of trucking companies. Today, he owns a company that assists small businesses achieve sales and marketing goals.
A fourth-generation Texan, Isaac was elected a state representative in 2011. He represents the Texas House of Representatives’ District 45, which includes Blanco and Hays Counties near Austin. He is the only SFA graduate currently serving in the Texas Legislature.
Isaac’s legislative priorities include reducing taxes, preserving a reliable groundwater supply, improving the public education system, and ensuring the oil and gas industry continues to thrive.
Isaac also serves as vice president of the Texas Conservative Coalition and founded the Hill Country Caucus, an organization comprising legislators who are dedicated to promoting and preserving the unique features and resources of the Texas Hill Country. The TCC has named Isaac its Courageous Conservative every session.
Candidates from SFA’s James I. Perkins College of Education and College of Fine Arts will participate in a 9:30 a.m. ceremony. Candidates from the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, the Rusche College of Business, the College of Liberal and Applied Arts, and the College of Sciences and Mathematics will participate in a 2 p.m. ceremony.
An estimated 938 degrees will be awarded, including 801 bachelor’s degrees, 134 master’s degrees and three doctoral degrees. More than 180 students will graduate with honors, including 75 cum laude, 59 summa cum laude and 46 magna cum laude. Also, there will be 30 students graduating with the university scholar designation. One posthumous degree will be awarded.
Master’s and doctoral candidates will graduate with their respective colleges, and Isaac will provide the commencement address at both ceremonies.
December 8, 2016 NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Four Stephen F. Austin State University donors will be honored during the 28th annual SFA Gala Saturday, December 10, in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Grand Ballroom.
This year’s Gala honorees include Elvin “Buddy” and Tommie Jan Lowery, Mattress Firm, the Bone Hill Foundation, and Kathy and Robert Lehmann.
“We are looking forward to this year’s Gala,” said Jill Still, SFA vice president for university advancement. “We are excited to again recognize the commitment and kindness of donors who support SFA’s programs and students, as well as faculty members who give so much of their time to the university community.”
The Gala cocktail reception begins at 6 p.m. and will be followed by a candlelight dinner at 7 p.m. Entertainment will be provided by Blind Date, featuring seven of Austin's most accomplished musicians whose repertoire ranges from dance music to jazz, rock, country and hip hop.
Tickets are $175 for orchestra seating and $125 for ballroom seating. Proceeds from the Gala help build a permanent endowment created by the SFASU Foundation to honor faculty achievement. For more information or to purchase tickets, call April Smith at (936) 468-5406.
Elvin “Buddy” and Tommie Jan Lowery
The Tommie Jan and Elvin Lowery Court in the William R. Johnson Coliseum on the SFA campus is named in honor of Elvin, the university’s first graduate to play in the NBA, and his wife, Tommie, a former SFA history professor. The couple donated funding to renovate the nearly 30-year-old court, officially unveiled in August 2015, and also have provided funding for student scholarships.
Elvin “Buddy” Lowery was born in Nacogdoches County and attended Huntington High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree from SFA in 1959. Elvin played for the Lumberjack basketball team under coach John O. Stephens from 1957-59. During that time, he led the Lumberjacks with 391 points, was named to the all-conference team in 1959 and received the Todd Memorial Award. Elvin later played in the Industrial Basketball League for the Technical Tapers in New York City and professionally for the Detroit Pistons in the National Basketball League.
Buddy serves as chairman of the board of Huntington State Bank. Civically, he has served as a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department deputy game warden in his free time. He became acquainted with the department through the exotic game ranch he owns.
Tommie Jan Lowery was born in Huntington and graduated as class valedictorian from Huntington High School. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SFA in 1957 and 1960, respectively, then went on to attend the University of Virginia. Tommie taught at Lufkin High School before joining the SFA Department of History where, after 37 years, she retired as an associate professor of history.
Tommie served as secretary for the East Texas Historical Association and in many other civic roles, including as president of the McMullen Memorial Library Board.
The Lowery’s son, Lane Lowery, is a director for KTRE-TV of Lufkin. Their daughter, Shana De Paoli of Dallas, serves as advisory director to the board of Huntington State Bank and is married to Dr. Ernest De Paoli. The couple has two children: Morgan, a senior at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia; and Grant, a sophomore at Trinity Christian Academy in Addison, Texas.
Mattress Firm
The name “Mattress Firm” has been well known on the SFA campus for years due to ties with Steve Stagner, an SFA alumnus now serving as executive chairman of the Mattress Firm Holding Corp. Most recently, Mattress Firm financed a renovation of a portion of the first floor of the Rusche College of Business to create the Mattress Firm Commons.
The Mattress Firm Commons creates an environment that fosters collaboration and teamwork, according to Amanda Robbins, vice president of talent acquisition and retention for the company. Robbins spoke at the January ribbon cutting on behalf of the company.
"This building is very near and dear to my heart. I've spent many hours on this campus, not only as a student, but also here attracting and acquiring top talent," said Robbins, who also is an SFA graduate. "SFA has really been one of the main pillars of success in our company."
With more than 3,500 company-operated and franchised stores across 49 states, Mattress Firm has the largest geographic footprint in the United States among multi-brand mattress retailers. Founded in 1986, Houston-based Mattress Firm is the nation's leading specialty bedding retailer with over $3.5 billion in pro forma sales in 2015.
Through its brands, including Mattress Firm, Sleepy's and Sleep Train, the company offers a broad selection of both traditional and specialty mattresses, bedding accessories and other related products from leading manufacturers, including Serta, Simmons, Tempur-Pedic, Sealy, Stearns & Foster, King Coil, and Hampton & Rhodes.
Bone Hill Foundation
The Bone Hill Foundation was established in 1967 with the goal of helping those in need by Will Bridges, owner of the Bone Hill Ranch in Shelby County. Since 1991, the foundation’s board has focused on providing scholarships for students pursuing higher education and actively encourages high school graduates to prepare for the future through college or vocational school training, according to Rick Campbell, Bone Hill Foundation board member.
Bone Hill has funded scholarships for hundreds of SFA students in the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, James I. Perkins College of Education, Rusche College of Business, College of Sciences and Mathematics, Richard and Lucille DeWitt School of Nursing, School of Art and engineering program.
The management and sale of timber from the ranch provides income to the foundation, job creation in the timber industry and, most importantly, scholarships for students from Shelby County and the surrounding areas. The Bone Hill Foundation has provided more than $2.8 million in scholarships for Shelby County students.
Dr. Gary Kronrad, who is the Bone Hill Foundation Distinguished Professor within SFA’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, also serves as board chair of the Bone Hill Foundation. He has worked with the foundation to develop a management plan that includes timber resources and wildlife to provide an appropriate balance of the natural resources.
Kathy and Robert Lehmann
The Lehmanns are a gracious, well-known couple who have a distinct, long-standing relationship with the university, both personally and professionally.
Robert “Bob” Lehmann is recognized for his contributions in the advancement of the latest surgical techniques in the management of eye diseases and has been instrumental in bringing new technology to the field of ophthalmology. Kathy, his wife, is a nurse and the administrator of Lehmann Eye Center. She attended SFA from 1977-79, completing her prerequisites for a bachelor’s degree in nursing prior to the university establishing its nursing program.
Through the years, they have supported the College of Fine Arts, Richard and Lucille DeWitt School of Nursing, Department of Modern Languages, hospitality program, College of Sciences and Mathematics, Archie McDonald Speaker Series, student scholarships, athletics and Women in STEM. Kathy also serves as an SFASU Foundation trustee.
The couple’s passion for the sciences, along with their long-standing commitment to SFA, will help catapult SFA students to success.
The Lehmanns are a remarkable couple who complement each other through their community service and family business.
Faculty Awards
Two faculty awards presented during SFA’s annual Gala recognize innovation and excellence in teaching and research. Dr. Emmerentie Oliphant, professor in SFA’s School of Social Work, is the recipient of the 2016 Faculty Achievement Award for Research. Dr. Kevin Langford, SFA associate professor biology and the director for the university’s pre-professional programs, is the recipient of the 2016 Faculty Achievement Award for Teaching.
November 30, 2016 - Stephen F. Austin State University’s School of Human Sciences is home to the Center for Economic Education, which is one of six centers in Texas designed to help train educators who teach students about economic education.
“Financial literacy is such an important area of concern,” said Dr. Nancy Shepherd, who serves as the center’s director and program coordinator for family and consumer sciences at SFA. “SFA is very focused on financial literacy, and it is part of our strategic plan.”
The center operates under the Texas Council on Economic Education. Its primary function is to provide training for teachers across the state. SFA’s center concentrates on serving teachers in Deep East Texas and the Beaumont and Huntsville areas.
During training sessions, Shepherd and other presenters demonstrate how to teach a specific financial topic. The center receives grants to sponsor the trainings, which sometimes funds support materials such as the current VE4.5 jump drive that has more than 1,400 lessons that apply to students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
Lessons include economics, financial literacy and entrepreneurship courses. Presenters help teachers navigate the lessons and find additional resources to help them in their classrooms.
“We have some great teachers doing really great things, but they need more support and training,” Shepherd said. “They don’t feel comfortable with some of the concepts, so we are trying to provide as much training as we can.”
Shepherd will host a curriculum training session from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 5, at SFA in the Culinary Café, Room 121, located in the Education Annex Building on campus.
The session will focus on understanding fiscal responsibility and utilize real-world situations that illustrate current fiscal issues such as the national debt, budget deficit, national security, Social Security and national policy issues. The training session costs $15. Space is available for the Monday training. To register online, visit www.economicstexas.org.
For more information, contact Shepherd at (936) 468-1413 or shepherd@sfasu.edu.
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