Everything Nac

Four Stephen F. Austin State University donors were honored during the SFA Gala held recently at the university.

This year’s honorees include the Bone Hill Foundation and Kathy and Robert Lehmann, who were inducted into the Stephen F. Austin Society. Mattress Firm and Elvin “Buddy” and Tommie Jan Lowery were inducted into the Fredonia Society.

“We are so grateful to have this opportunity to recognize such giving individuals and organizations who help transform student experiences in higher education,” said Jill Still, SFA vice president for university advancement. “The university is very fortunate for their support.”

Two faculty awards also were presented in recognition of innovation and excellence in teaching and research. Dr. Emmerentie Oliphant, professor in SFA’s School of Social Work and director of the Master of Social Work program, was the recipient of the 2016 Faculty Achievement Award for Research. Dr. Kevin Langford, SFA associate professor of biology and director of the university’s pre-health professions program, was the recipient of the 2016 Faculty Achievement Award for Teaching.

The annual event included a cocktail reception, a candlelight dinner and dancing with entertainment provided by Blind Date, a group of accomplished musicians from Austin who performed hits, including rock, jazz, country and hip-hop.

Proceeds from the Gala help build a permanent endowment created by the SFASU Foundation to honor faculty achievement.

Bone Hill Foundation

The Bone Hill Foundation was established in 1967 with the goal of helping those in need by Will Bridges, owner of the Bone Hill Ranch in Shelby County. Since 1991, the foundation’s board has focused on providing scholarships for students pursuing higher education and actively encourages high school graduates to prepare for the future through college or vocational school training, according to Rick Campbell, Bone Hill Foundation chair.

Bone Hill has funded scholarships for hundreds of SFA students in the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, James I. Perkins College of Education, Rusche College of Business, College of Sciences and Mathematics, Richard and Lucille DeWitt School of Nursing, School of Art and engineering program.

The management and sale of timber from the ranch provides income to the foundation, job creation in the timber industry and, most importantly, scholarships for students from Shelby County and the surrounding areas. The Bone Hill Foundation has provided more than $2.8 million in scholarships for Shelby County students.

Dr. Gary Kronrad, who is the Bone Hill Foundation Distinguished Professor within SFA’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, also serves as board member of the Bone Hill Foundation. He has worked with the foundation to develop a management plan that includes timber resources and wildlife to provide an appropriate balance of the natural resources.

Kathy and Robert Lehmann

The Lehmanns are a gracious, well-known couple who have a distinct, long-standing relationship with the university, both personally and professionally.

Robert “Bob” Lehmann is recognized for his contributions in the advancement of the latest surgical techniques in the management of eye diseases and has been instrumental in bringing new technology to the field of ophthalmology. Kathy, his wife, is a nurse and the administrator of Lehmann Eye Center. She attended SFA from 1977-79, completing her prerequisites for a bachelor’s degree in nursing prior to the university establishing its nursing program.

Through the years, they have supported the College of Fine Arts, Richard and Lucille DeWitt School of Nursing, Department of Modern Languages, hospitality program, College of Sciences and Mathematics, Archie McDonald Speaker Series, student scholarships, athletics and Women in STEM. Kathy also serves as an SFASU Foundation trustee.

The couple’s passion for the sciences, along with their long-standing commitment to SFA, will help catapult SFA students to success.

The Lehmanns are a remarkable couple who complement each other through their community service and family business.

Mattress Firm

The name “Mattress Firm” has been well known on the SFA campus for years due to ties with Steve Stagner, an SFA alumnus now serving as executive chairman of the Mattress Firm Holding Corp. Most recently, Mattress Firm financed a renovation of a portion of the first floor of the Rusche College of Business to create the Mattress Firm Commons.

The Mattress Firm Commons creates an environment that fosters collaboration and teamwork, according to Amanda Robbins, vice president of talent acquisition and retention for the company. Robbins spoke at the January ribbon cutting on behalf of the company.

“This building is very near and dear to my heart. I’ve spent many hours on this campus, not only as a student, but also here attracting and acquiring top talent,” said Robbins, who also is an SFA graduate. “SFA has really been one of the main pillars of success in our company.”

With more than 3,500 company-operated and franchised stores across 49 states, Mattress Firm has the largest geographic footprint in the United States among multi-brand mattress retailers. Founded in 1986, Houston-based Mattress Firm is the nation’s leading specialty bedding retailer with more than $3.5 billion in pro forma sales in 2015.

Through its brands, including Mattress Firm, Sleepy’s and Sleep Train, the company offers a broad selection of both traditional and specialty mattresses, bedding accessories and other related products from leading manufacturers, including Serta, Simmons, Tempur-Pedic, Sealy, Stearns & Foster, King Coil and Hampton & Rhodes.

Elvin “Buddy” and Tommie Jan Lowery

The Tommie Jan and Elvin Lowery Court in the William R. Johnson Coliseum on the SFA campus is named in honor of Elvin, the university’s first graduate to play in the NBA, and his wife, Tommie, a former SFA history professor. The couple donated funding to renovate the nearly 30-year-old court, officially unveiled in August 2015, and also have provided funding for student scholarships.

Elvin “Buddy” Lowery was born in Nacogdoches County and attended Huntington High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree from SFA in 1959. Elvin played for the Lumberjack basketball team under coach John O. Stephens from 1957-59. During that time, he led the Lumberjacks with 391 points, was named to the all-conference team in 1959 and received the Todd Memorial Award. Elvin later played in the Industrial Basketball League for the Technical Tapers in New York City and professionally for the Detroit Pistons in the National Basketball League.

Buddy serves as chairman of the board of Huntington State Bank. Civically, he has served as a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department deputy game warden in his free time. He became acquainted with the department through the exotic game ranch he owns.

Tommie Jan Lowery was born in Huntington and graduated as class valedictorian from Huntington High School. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SFA in 1957 and 1960, respectively, then went on to attend the University of Virginia. Tommie taught at Lufkin High School before joining the SFA Department of History where, after 37 years, she retired as an associate professor of history.

Tommie served as secretary for the East Texas Historical Association and in many other civic roles, including as president of the McMullen Memorial Library Board.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s online master’s degree in early childhood education program has been ranked as one of the most affordable in the nation by AffordableColleges.com, a website dedicated to helping students find a path to a rewarding, quality education.

“SFA has a reputation for an academically strong early childhood education program,” said Dr. Elizabeth Vaughan, chair of SFA’s Department of Elementary Education. “To also be recognized for affordability is an indicator of the value our students receive.”

Site editors reviewed materials such as loan default rates, tuition, graduation rates and financial aid data to draw a distinction among the ranked programs. AffordableColleges.com used data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, which offers insight into affordability, academic pedigree and online-learning programs.

SFA’s Master of Education in early childhood online program takes 36 credit hours to complete, and the course content includes child development, curriculum, instructional strategies, assessment, leadership and research. Courses are taught in half-semester formats, and students may determine the pace at which they progress.

“This program is designed to meet the specific needs of individuals who work with children from birth through 8 years old and who want to become specialists in the field,” Vaughan said. “The online format meets the needs of working professionals in child care, preschool, Head Start and public school settings.”

Generally, it takes two years to complete the program. Approximately 100 students are enrolled each semester.

For more information, email ecap@sfasu.edu.

Stephen F. Austin State University alumna Janet Brenner Hoover has always had a passion for education, and now she has been given the opportunity to leave her educational mark on the world in a big way.

Recently, Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District announced it is naming a new elementary school in Hoover’s honor. The Janet Brenner Hoover Elementary School will serve pre-K through second grade students.

“It’s exciting and hard to believe. I want to pinch myself. I’m thinking, ‘Is this really happening to me?’” Hoover said. “It’s very humbling and an honor that the district thinks enough of me to do this.”

After graduating from Cy-Fair High School, Hoover attended college in Austin. She received her bachelor’s degree and began teaching in the CFISD in 1974 as a special and general education teacher at Post Elementary School.

“I always wanted to work with special needs children,” Hoover said. “I saw a need to support those children, and I wanted to be a voice for them in the education system.”

While teaching, she began her studies at SFA working toward a Master of Education. She remembers taking field experience courses, attending night classes and visiting SFA on the weekends to complete the degree. She graduated from the university in 1977.

Dr. Judy Abbott, dean of SFA’s James I. Perkins College of Education, expressed her pride in Hoover’s accomplishment.

“Recognizing influential educators is a time-honored practice, and there’s nothing like the pride I feel when an alumni is recognized in this way,” Abbott said. “Knowing Ms. Hoover received her educator preparation/educational leadership grounding at SFA reinforces the belief faculty members within the college hold, which is the intensity and rigor of our programs through the years has contributed to excellence in educational practice across Texas.”

Hoover spent 36 years with CFISD. Some of the titles she’s held include team leader at Holbrook Elementary School for six years, assistant principal at Holmsley Elementary School for two years and assistant principal for Millsap Elementary School for four years. She later was promoted to principal at Millsap, where she served for nine years.

Hoover opened Gleason Elementary School, where she worked for three years before moving into the role of assistant superintendent for elementary administration at the Instructional Support Center.

“With each job, you affect different people on a different level. When I was a teacher, I was interacting with children daily. As assistant principal and principal, I worked more with adults and trained them to work with children,” Hoover said. “When you become a principal, you feel like a rock star. You have to be a good role model and use your experiences to give parents and teachers the tools to be successful. I was blessed to work in an incredible district with teachers and parents who also were incredible.”

Although she retired in 2010, Hoover continues to be involved with the district through coaching new principals.

“It feels like I’m still contributing. I like the challenge of being in the school building and all the dynamics that go on every day,” Hoover said. “Every time you think you’ve seen it all, something pops up, and you have to work it out. I enjoy all the new experiences.”

Hoover is the sister-in-law of James and Margaret Perkins. SFA’s James I. Perkins College of Education was named in Perkins’ honor in 2007.