Everything Nac

Dr. John C. Pruit, a Stephen F. Austin State University assistant professor of sociology, has learned the lessons taught in preschool often have the ability to go beyond classroom walls.

“Analytically, the preschool teacher is a simplified social identity, but preschool teaching is strikingly complex in everyday practice,” said Pruit. “With my research, I wanted to show that how preschool teachers teach is anything but straightforward.”

Pruit focuses his research on preschool teachers and classroom settings — an interest that began from both an analytical and personal standpoint. When his own son entered preschool, Pruit found himself wondering what he could do better in regards to understanding both the constraints of and constructs within the classroom.

Studying education and preschool teachers in particular has influenced Pruit’s own teaching style. Through his research, he has realized that preschool teachers both teach and care for their students, which is something he tries to achieve in his own interactions with college students.

“I try to approach my students with compassion and let them know that I care about them and want them to succeed,” Pruit said. “Sometimes they just need someone to listen to them and validate their experience.

“I also often talk to students about the times I have failed at doing things well. This allows my students to see that I am human and, like all humans, I make mistakes; but these mistakes are often opportunities to learn.”

Using a constructivist approach, he engages students in critically thinking about how sociology, especially sociological theory, is applicable to their everyday lives.

Along with studying education, Pruit’s research areas include narrative, identity and sociology of early childhood, deviance and sociological social psychology.

“I’m interested in how people put their lives together within institutional contexts,” Pruit said. “I prefer to do research in the settings in which I talk and interact.”

Pruit holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in sociology from the University of Memphis and a doctoral degree in sociology from the University of Missouri. Prior to joining SFA’s College of Liberal and Applied Arts faculty in 2016, Pruit was a visiting assistant professor at Pennsylvania State University in Abington.

He has authored several journal articles and textbooks, and recently published a book, “Between Teaching and Caring in Preschool: Talk, Interaction, and the Preschool Teacher Identity,” where he used ethnographic and interview data to analyze how preschool teachers construct institutional identities. He is a member of the American Sociological Association, the Midwest Sociological Society and the Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction.

Most recently, Pruit received the Teaching Excellence Award for being an outstanding faculty member in the College of Liberal and Applied Arts. The Teaching Excellence Award is based on knowledge of subject matter, quality of lectures and assignments, enthusiasm for teaching, commitment to continuous improvement, contribution to the quality of teaching at SFA by assisting and encouraging other faculty members, and interest in and availability to students.

“Receiving the Teaching Excellence Award is humbling and validating. I am fortunate to be a part of the education of some of the best students at SFA and in the state of Texas,” said Pruit. “My job is more meaningful because my students are learning to think about the social world in a thoughtful, imaginative and critical manner.”

By Emily Brown, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

It’s big. It’s purple. It’s the Lumberjack Express. This spring Stephen F. Austin State University rolled out its newest endeavor — the Lumberjack Express mobile food lab.

As the only one of its kind in Texas, this learning laboratory provides students in the School of Human Sciences a taste of the real world.

“There are only a few food trucks nationally that are utilized as an academic laboratory,” said Dr. Lynda Martin, director of SFA’s School of Human Sciences. “It has been so exciting watching the students make the Lumberjack Express their own and seeing how the campus community has responded to this new learning experience.”

Four faculty members from the School of Human Sciences were instrumental in bringing the Lumberjack Express to campus: Dr. Chay Runnels, hospitality administration program coordinator and associate professor; Dr. Donna Fickes, clinical instructor; Todd Barrios, chef instructor; and Justin Pelham, clinical instructor.

In recognition of their work, they were recently awarded a Bright Spot award by the SFA Faculty Senate, the Center for Teaching and Learning and the SFA vice presidents.

While attending the National Restaurant Association’s annual show a few years ago in Illinois, Runnels noticed a food truck with a university logo on it. This sighting sparked an idea.

“We began researching the possibility of a mobile food lab that would be a true learning laboratory. From the beginning, we had a lot of support from administration,” Runnels said.

Soon, wheels started turning — literally, as faculty members and students worked to bring the food truck trend to campus.

“We had many meetings. We worked with an undergraduate student to develop a business plan, and we researched other food trucks and institutions that had something similar to what we were proposing,” Runnels said. “It’s been a learning experience for us all.”

Once SFA’s Board of Regents approved the purchase of the mobile food lab in January 2018, Fickes began coordinating the development effort. In addition to teaching, Fickes contacted people in the industry and worked with faculty members to ensure the new mobile food lab would meet program needs.

Barrios worked on creating the kitchen’s layout, as well as selecting the kitchen utensils. Pelham represented the food, nutrition and dietetics program in helping select the menu items.

A mobile food management course was developed that focuses on the food truck industry and directly ties in with the Lumberjack Express. Students in other areas, such as event planning, also have the opportunity to use the Lumberjack Express for coursework.

“Our goal is to provide students a timely, transformational learning experience. The food truck trend has grown into a food truck culture,” Fickes said. “It is a viable way for someone to enter the hospitality industry with fewer expenses and immediate return on investment. Providing our students an environment where they can learn through trial and error puts them a step ahead of their competition.”

Service at the Lumberjack Express began in February. Much like the Culinary Café, the Lumberjack Express is a student-run operation. Hospitality majors, under the direction of Barrios, prepare the meals every Tuesday and Thursday. The cuisine is based on various themes, such as Latin, Texas barbecue, Asian, Creole and Mediterranean. Music streaming from the Lumberjack Express and smiling faces inside the truck greet customers picking up their food.

“The students love working on Lumberjack Express and have taken immediate ownership of it,” Fickes said. “Guests have been very positive about student interactions, and they have loved the street food creations we are serving.”

The Lumberjack Express also will be utilized at outreach and recruiting events, such as career and college fairs and Showcase Saturday. Pelham also plans on using the lab for cooking demonstrations in the community during the Cooking Matters Program his students host annually.

To learn more about the Lumberjack Express and to purchase tickets, visit sfasu.edu/lumberjackexpress.

By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host a photography workshop to share methods for taking and editing photographs of flowers.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon May 11 at the Brundrett Conservation Education Building, Room 101, at the SFA Pineywoods Native Plant Center, located at 2900 Raguet St.

Dr. Thomas Willis, retired physician and experienced general photographer, will explore the principles of photography with emphasis on techniques for close-up imaging, selective focus and composition. All levels of photographers are welcome and will be able to improve their skills. Some of Willis’ images can be seen at tomwillisphotography.com or tomwillisphoto.com.

Participants will have the opportunity to photograph cut and native flowers at the PNPC. They should bring a camera or cellphone, and a laptop is optional. Digital cameras also are available for loan. Willis is offering a bonus “editing hour” from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. for participants who would like to learn more advanced post-processing skills.

Cost for the seminar is $25 for SFA Gardens members and $35 for nonmembers. Space is limited, and preregistration is required. To register or for more information, contact the SFA Gardens education office at (936) 468-4129 or sfagardens@sfasu.edu.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s Department of English and Creative Writing will host David J. Peterson, inventor of languages for television and movies, at 6:30 p.m. April 22 in Dugas Liberal Arts North, Room 142.

Peterson’s talk, “The Art of Language Invention,” will discuss his process for creating languages. Peterson has invented numerous languages, most notably Dothraki and High Valyrian for HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”

Dr. Jessie Sams, SFA associate professor of linguistics, believes Peterson’s presentation will provide unique insight into the way society uses language.

“Because language is so integral to our daily lives, we can all learn something by taking a step back and asking questions about why we say things the way we do or why we have a particular word in our language,” Sams said.

According to Sams, Peterson’s work highlights the connection between languages he creates and those in the fictional worlds who speak those languages.

“The more you learn about the expressions in a language, the more you can understand how speakers categorize and understand the world around them,” Sams said. “Culture and language are inextricably linked. They reflect each other.”

Peterson’s talk will be particularly engaging to anyone interested in the invented languages he has created. In addition to “Game of Thrones,” Peterson has created languages for Marvel’s “Thor: The Dark World” and “Doctor Strange,” the CW Television Network’s “Star-Crossed” and “The 100,” and more. He has authored two books: “The Art of Language Invention” and “Dothraki: Living Language.” He also is creating Duolingo courses for some of his languages.

This talk is free and open to the community. For more information, contact Sams at samsj@sfasu.edu or (936) 468-2180.

By Emily Brown, marketing communications specialist for Stephen F. Austin State University.