Everything Nac

Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music’s 2017 Opera Theater, Otto Nicolai’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” opens for a three-night run at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 30, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus. Among the music student cast members are, standing from left, Amanda Sheriff of Houston as Anne Page; Evelyn Shaffer of Houston as Mrs. Page; Kelsey Quinn of San Antonio as Mrs. Ford; and Brenton Mattox, front, of Houston as Sir John Falstaff. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and $7.50 for students and youth. For tickets or more information, visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu or call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s College of Sciences and Mathematics will present its third annual Women in STEM Luncheon and Style Show at noon Tuesday, April 4, in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Grand Ballroom. Doors open at 11:30 a.m.

The luncheon is an effort to raise funds to create scholarships for women who are majoring in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines at SFA.

“America is experiencing a significant under-representation of women who select STEM majors and persist to enter STEM or STEM-related careers,” said Dr. Kimberly M. Childs, dean of SFA’s College of Sciences and Mathematics. “Although women comprise approximately 48 percent of the U.S. workforce, they hold less than 25 percent of STEM jobs.”

This year’s Women in STEM luncheon will feature a gallery walk and poster presentation of STEM research performed by female SFA faculty members and students. Researchers will attend the poster presentation, and visitors are encouraged to talk with researchers before the luncheon.

During the luncheon, female keynote speakers will discuss their experiences with STEM research and careers. Selected men will escort female role models during the style show to help emphasize the importance of having men support women in STEM disciplines.

“Last year’s luncheon generated enough funds to provide three $5,000 scholarships to young women enrolled in SFA’s College of Sciences and Mathematics,” Childs said. “We hope this year’s luncheon will generate even more donations to fund more scholarships, which is our goal each year we organize the Women in STEM event.”

The Town House and Miller’s Point will provide the fashions for this year’s event.

The 2017 Women in STEM Luncheon and Style Show is sponsored by J.E. Kingham Construction Company and Kristi Owens, vice president and wealth management advisor with Merrill Lynch.

For more information about the event, including ticket and table reservations, email Kim Carmona, project coordinator for the College of Sciences and Mathematics, at kdcarmona@sfasu.edu.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s dance program and Repertory Dance Company will showcase senior choreographic works and company pieces during its production of Danceworks: Deviation, which premieres at 7 p.m. April 20 in the Norton H.P.E. Complex, Room 201, on the university’s campus.

A second showing is scheduled for 7 p.m. April 21 with a final performance set for 3 p.m. April 22.

As the theme suggests, the production will feature a spectrum of choreography, including jazz, modern, hip-hop and more. Heather Samuelson, co-coordinator of SFA’s dance program and assistant professor of dance, explained this production is the program’s first time to feature hip-hop.

“This year’s show is full of dances we haven’t offered to the public before, so it will be a different experience for audiences,” Samuelson said. “It’s a really fun show.”

The production will feature six senior choreographic works and choreography from two dance faculty members and two guest artists, each with a different theme.

Guest artist Tonya Reed Simon, who is known for her work with artists such as Nelly, worked with SFA students to choreograph a hip-hop dance for the production. Additionally, guest artist Jo Byrnes collaborated with SFA students to choreograph a contemporary piece for Danceworks. Sarah Sanchez, an SFA adjunct faculty member, will present a ballet folklórico piece.

As part of their degree requirements, SFA seniors in the dance program must create a choreographic piece and present it.

“Danceworks provides our students opportunities for performance for their degree and it better prepares them for teaching or auditioning,” Samuelson said. “It helps get them ready to go out into the real world and secure jobs as dancers, teachers, choreographers or performers.”

Students in a production course taught by Haley Hoss Jameson, co-coordinator of SFA’s dance program and associate professor of dance, will work backstage during the production to help with lighting, quick changes and additional crew work. Overall, approximately 55 people are involved in the show.

Tickets cost $5 for students, $8 for faculty and staff members, and $10 for general admission and can be purchased at the door. Funds raised from ticket sales will be used to offset production costs and help recruit future guest artists. SFA’s dance program and the Department of Kinesiology and Health Science are sponsoring the production.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s Department of History will host Phi Alpha Theta’s regional conference for Northeast Texas from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 1, in the Baker Pattillo Student Center. The conference is part of Phi Alpha Theta’s national drive to provide venues for graduate and undergraduate students to present their research in a professional environment.

Conference participants include 44 students and 12 faculty members representing 10 institutions. Throughout the 12 conference sessions, students will present their original research. The conference sessions will be held in the student center’s Regents’ Suite A and the Ladyjack, Pine Log, Stone Fort and Tejas conference rooms.

“Undergraduate research is a staple of high-impact practices and leads to transformative learning experiences,” said Dr. Mark Barringer, chair and associate professor in SFA’s Department of History. “But the key to engineering such learning experiences is providing a professional venue for students to present their work to other historians.”

The SFA chapter of Phi Alpha Theta’s regional conference is part of the honor society’s 34 other regional conferences being held around the nation.

“We’re glad to host this year’s conference at SFA,” Barringer said. “We hope the experience enriches the students presenting at the conference and that it helps them refine their research for publication. We also look forward to showcasing the craft of historical research.”

This event is free and open to the public.