Everything Nac

Stephen F. Austin State University psychology graduate student Stacey Kerr recently received the 2017 Marilyn M. Odom Graduate Student Award from SFA’s Alumni Association.

A native of Spring Creek, Nevada, Kerr said she is honored to receive this award. “There are a lot of talented and bright graduate students at SFA, and I am in awe to have been both nominated and chosen for such an award. I am grateful to the professors and my colleagues and family for their support in my desire to pursue higher education.”

Kerr completed her undergraduate degree in psychology at the College of Idaho in Caldwell. During her time there, she met Dr. Lauren Brewer, assistant professor of psychology at SFA. Brewer recruited Kerr for SFA’s master’s program and nominated her for the award.

Kerr credits Dr. Brewer and the rest of the Department of Psychology professors as guiding and encouraging her to complete her master’s degree. “They not only mentor their students in and out of the classroom, but also foster independent pursuit of research and knowledge,” Kerr said. “I was able to earn a master’s degree in a subject that provided me with invaluable research experience and the opportunity to further cultivate leadership skills, helping me prepare for a future in the field of medicine.”

The Marilyn Odom Graduate Student Award is granted to full-time students who have a 3.8 GPA or better for all graduate work at SFA, with at least 24 graduate hours of course work taken in residence at SFA.

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

Scientists and science students from universities across the nation will soon be wearing T-shirts designed by Lumberjacks.

Stephen F. Austin State University students won the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology’s national T-shirt design contest. T-shirts with the design will be sold at the society’s 2018 annual Experimental Biology meeting in San Diego in April.

“It is a great honor for our chapter to be receiving this award, especially after all of the hard work that was put into the design,” said Logan Sheffield, SFA ASBMB chapter president and senior biology major from Angleton, Texas. “It was exciting to see that we were able to compete with the other universities, some of which are much larger than SFA.”

Volunteering in various on-campus events, chapter members are active participants in STEM Academy, Girl Scout STEM Day and High School STEM Day. Off campus, members volunteer at Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital, participate in the annual Undergraduate Research Conference hosted by the School of Honors and present research at events such as the ASBMB conference.

“The ASBMB SFA student chapter focuses on expanding the knowledge of biochemistry and molecular biology to undergraduate and graduate students,” said Carmel Tovar, chapter secretary and senior biochemistry major from San Antonio.

The chapter also seeks to inspire prospective students by participating in university-supported programs for high school students, Tovar said.

“By mentoring future generations, the idea of pursuing higher education, especially in the STEM field, becomes more of a reality than a dream,” Tovar said.

Not just an organization for STEM majors, the chapter is open to anyone wanting to get involved, Sheffield said.

“I believe our ASBMB chapter is a great organization to join for any student who is interested in biomedical sciences, as well as those that just wish to build their résumé by getting involved on campus,” Sheffield said.

For more information about the chapter, contact Dr. Tayo Odunuga, faculty adviser and associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, at odunugaoo@sfasu.edu.

By Joanna Armstrong, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University

A chorus of firefighters confront Cumming, Georgia, junior Shane Reynolds as Gottlieb Biedermann in the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre’s presentation of Max Frisch’s “(Biedermann and) The Firebugs.” Curtain goes up at 7:30 nightly through Saturday, March 3, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus. Chorus members include Nychollete Easter, Houston freshman; Kaitlyn Kirby, Plano senior; Bayley Owen, Royce City sophomore; James Burns, Troup senior; and Caitlin Bice, Flint senior. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.theatre.sfasu.edu. Single tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and $7.50 for students/youth.

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.

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

More than four hundred high school students attended Stephen F. Austin State University’s seventh annual STEM Day Friday, exploring different areas of STEM through interactive faculty-led sessions, two STEM student panels and a physics magic show.

Students chose between twenty-three different sessions covering a wide variety of subjects, including chemistry, computer science, engineering, mathematics, forestry and health science.

“This event not only exposes students to hands-on activities that spark an interest and an awareness in STEM education, but this year we’re also looking at recruitment,” said Dr. Jana Redfield, assistant director of the STEM Research and Learning and Center. “We want these students at SFA, and we know that if they can see themselves here in classrooms and labs, working with faculty and interacting with STEM majors, they may be more likely to consider SFA for their future.”

By Joanna Armstrong, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University