Everything Nac

Stephen F. Austin State University’s interior design program is partnering with Houston Community College to collect supplies for students in HCC’s interior design program who were affected by Hurricane Harvey.

In early August, SFA and HCC formed a partnership to offer Houston-area students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in interior design a more convenient option to acquire their degree. HCC students can now earn an SFA degree in interior design on the HCC Central Campus.

“SFA and HCC are partners, and we want HCC students to know we are here for them no matter what happens,” said Sally Ann Swearingen, SFA associate professor of interior design. “This is our way of stepping up and helping HCC and its students through this tragedy.”

Items needed include architect’s scales, technigraph lead holders, lead pointers, ink pens, erasers, drafting brushes, drafting tape and dots, grid paper, templates, and more. Barnes and Noble gift cards also are being accepted in order to purchase textbooks. For a complete list of items, visit sfasu.edu/harvey.

SFA and Nacogdoches community members who would like to donate can bring items to the Human Sciences South Building on the SFA campus. SFA will make its first donation delivery to HCC Sept. 14.

Swearingen said many alumni have offered to bring donations to the university campus, and donations can be mailed to the following address.

SFA Interior Design Program — Donations for HCC
615 Starr Avenue E.
Nacogdoches, TX 75962.

For more information, contact Swearingen at sswearingen@sfasu.edu.

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

Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14, in the Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, located at 2900 Raguet St. George Edward Hull, horticulturist from Portland, Oregon, will present “From Over the Top to Down Under: Adventures in Horticulture.”

Hull’s career spans 40 years in the horticulture field. He has researched a variety of plant-based topics, including appropriate shade tree selections for cityscapes, production positions in the Southwest, and development of new cultivars for the nursery trade and teaching positions.

Hull is a frequent speaker and writer on uses of plant materials both in this country and abroad. His current projects focus on breeding and the introduction of adapted materials for the Southwest.

Many current selections in the Phoenix, Arizona, horticulture trade have been introduced by Hull. He holds plant patents on new Tecoma hybrids, which are being offered in the U.S., Europe and Asia. He also has taught at both the community college level and spent 10 years teaching plant materials to landscape architecture students at the Herberger Institute at Arizona State University.

Hull recently relocated to Portland, Oregon, to start a new chapter in horticulture, growing things nearly impossible to grow in the low desert.

The Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series is held the second Thursday of each month and includes a rare-plant raffle after the program. The lecture is free and open to the public, but donations to the Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series fund are always appreciated.

Parking is available at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center and Raguet Elementary School, located at 2428 Raguet St.

For more information, call (936) 468-4129, or email sfagardens@sfasu.edu.

Almost 200 donors participated in a blood drive Thursday at Stephen F. Austin State University to benefit people impacted as a result of Hurricane Harvey. Due to overwhelming response, a second blood drive is now scheduled.

“We were able to take donations from 193 people,” said Collin Rutherford, SFA graduate student and Leadership and Service Programs representative. “We have 48 already signed up to donate next Thursday, Sept. 7. The cooperation of the staff and generosity of the students made this one of the best blood drives we’ve seen.”

The mobile blood drive unit will be stationed from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. between the Baker Pattillo Student Center and Kennedy Auditorium.

For more information about SFA’s relief efforts for individuals impacted by recent storms, call (936) 468-2605 or visit sfasu.edu/harvey.