Everything Nac

Stephen F. Austin State University students and faculty members in the James I. Perkins College of Education’s Department of Human Services recently presented research at the National Association of School Psychologists Conference in San Antonio.

During the four-day conference, participants attended workshops and events, including featured, practitioner conversations and interest group networking sessions, mini-skills, papers, symposiums and poster presentations, and a keynote address.

“This conference is essential to ensuring students develop as future school psychologists,” said Dr. Nina Ellis-Hervey, director of SFA’s School Psychology Assessment Center and assistant professor. “Students gain the opportunity to engage in professional discussions about their research and work with one another and their professors. They also network with other graduate-level students and professionals in the field from across the United States.”

SFA doctoral student Roselia Juan was a first-time participant and said the experience was memorable.

“This conference provides an opportunity to listen to inspirational stories and testimonies,” Juan said. “It highlighted the importance of working with integrity and learning up-to-date techniques about how to appropriately execute our profession.”

Juan presented a poster detailing the role of bias in school discipline with Juan Chen, an SFA doctoral student in school psychology from Shanghai, China. Their research showcased results that indicated significant differences in the preferred method of disciplinary actions among teacher candidates upon diverse students. The study’s results spotlighted the importance of diversity and cultural education in teacher-preparation programs.

“During our poster presentation, we had several people from all across the nation stop and ask questions about our study,” Juan said. “The experience was humbling and exciting, as we had several people comment positively on our research.”

Additionally, Dr. Daniel McCleary, SFA assistant professor of human services, and Chen presented a poster titled “Building math fact fluency in China through adapted cover-copy-compare.”

“This research is about how adapted cover-copy-compare procedures helped a Chinese student in Shanghai improve her math fluency,” Chen said.

SFA doctoral student Ashley Doss and McCleary presented a study titled “Implications of the Impact of Parent Perceptions on Military Children,” which was based on Doss’ thesis. This presentation informed practitioners how parental perceptions of the military lifestyle may affect adolescents.

“This is a great conference to attend for graduate students, because many of the sessions and outings are planned and designed to assist graduate students in networking,” Doss said.

Ellis-Hervey, Doss and DeShae Davis, also an SFA doctoral student, conducted a mini-skills workshop where they discussed the development of school psychology assessment centers.

Ellis-Hervey also presented a mini-skills workshop with McCleary titled “How to design, create and implement four math fluency interventions.”

The NASP is a professional association representing more than 25,000 school psychologists, graduate students and related professionals throughout the U.S. and 25 other countries. The world’s largest organization of school psychologists, NASP works to advance effective practices to improve students’ learning, behavior and mental health.

The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts and School of Music will present Evgeni Raychev in a faculty cello recital at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 23, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

The recital, titled “Musical Foray,” takes the listener into the world of the great composer Gabriel Fauré with other selections by Carl Maria von Weber, J.S. Bach and Joseph Haydn.

Performing with Raychev will be Olga Wong, piano, along with Jonah Raychev, Jennifer Dalmas and Jarred Kennedy, violin; Preston Patterson, viola; and Carlos Martinez, cello.

“The recital will focus on the works for cello and piano by the French Romantic composer Gabriel Fauré, whose musical style influenced many 20th-century composers,” Raychev said. “His works often have descriptive titles and are very picturesque in character. They have unique figurative language, so typical of Fauré, which takes us on a special journey through various mental images.”

Although most of these pieces are short and programmatic, Fauré’s Sonata for cello and piano is larger in scope, Raychev said. Other composers and styles featured on the program provide contrast to Fauré’s music.

“Weber’s Adagio and Rondo, originally for harmonium and orchestra, is an interesting showpiece transcribed by the famous cellist, Gregor Piatigorsky,” Raychev said.

Raychev will be joined by his son, Jonah, in the first movement of Bach’s well-known concerto for two violins. The concert also features the third movement of the Haydn Cello Concerto in C major, which Raychev describes as “an exciting showpiece for the soloist, fully exploring the range and technique of the cello.” The last two selections will be accompanied by string quartet.

Cello instructor in the SFA School of Music, Raychev is the co-founder of the Piney Woods Camerata and Piney Woods Youth Orchestra and founding member of Alazan Piano Trio. A new endeavor is the Cello Club in which cello enthusiasts of all ages are prepared online to gather together for a concert at SFA.

Wong is principal organist at St. Martha Catholic Church in Kingwood. She completed a Master’s Degree in Piano Performance at SFA while serving as full-time graduate assistant in piano, accompanying student ensembles.

Recital 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.

The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts and School of Music will present Andrew Parr in a faculty piano recital at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 21, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

A presentation of the Cole Performing Arts Series, the recital will feature Parr performing “Contrasts in Romantic Piano Music.” The program includes Johannes Brahms’ Piano Sonata No 1, Op. 1 and a group of pieces by Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz from his “Iberia Suite.”

“The Brahms work is the first composition that the composer permitted to be published,” Parr said. “It was written to be a virtuoso vehicle for recitals by the young Brahms, when he was still a performing pianist.”

The “Iberia Suite” of Albéniz is a collection of 12 pieces written to portray different regions of Spain, particularly in the mountainous region of the Iberia peninsula, which includes areas of Spain and Portugal, Parr explained.

“I will present some selections from this Suite, which is generally considered to make enormous technical demands of the performer,” he said.

Parr is professor of piano in the SFA School of Music and has performed extensively in solo, chamber and concerto settings. He has presented guest recitals and master classes at universities in Texas, regionally, and in international venues such as Hong Kong. He was a member of the piano faculty at the Vienna Piano Academy in Vienna, Austria, helped to create the First International Piano Camp for students in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, was among the artist faculty of the Interharmony Music Festival in Arcidosso, Italy, and joined the jury of the Second International Iberoamericano Competition for Young Pianists in Santo Domingo in 2016. He has been awarded the Teaching Excellence Award for the SFA College of Fine Arts and in 2016 was awarded the Outstanding Collegiate Teaching Achievement Award for Texas by the Texas Music Teachers Association.

Recital 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.

This spring Stephen F. Austin State University’s Rusche College of Business implemented a mentorship program to provide students with an additional resource outside of an academic setting.

This program matches members of the Rusche College of Business Executive Advisory Board with an SFA student based on the student’s goals, the mentor’s industry specialty and location, and personalities. Mentors advise and guide students as they advance in college and help students launch their careers.

“In this program, students have direct access to the skills and knowledge of highly successful individuals,” said Dr. Tim Bisping, dean of the Rusche College of Business. “The mentorship program provides a low-risk environment in which students can ask questions about professional development.”

In this program, mentors and students schedule weekly phone conversations and meet at least twice during the semester. Discussion topics range from communication skills and teamwork to office and interview etiquette. Tiffany Jones, director of external relations in the Rusche College of Business, is highly involved with the program and explained its benefits.

“This program places students in the position to receive insight and advice from some of our most successful College of Business alumni,” Jones said. “We hope that operating without the pressure of trying to secure a job from this experience will allow the mentors and students to develop relationships conducive to being open and honest about their questions, fears and personal development goals.”

This program is not an extended job interview, Jones said.

“It is our hope that these relationships develop on a personal level and last beyond the requirements of this program,” Jones said. “Our mentors are interested in helping students develop skills that will make them leaders in their field.”

Currently, there are 11 students involved in the pilot program, which lasts one semester. Jones said she hopes to expand the pool of mentors to accommodate more students.

For more information, contact Jones at jonestj9@sfasu.edu, or visit the dean’s office in the McGee Business Building on the SFA campus.