Everything Nac

The second phase of a significant Texas Department of Transportation grant was awarded recently to Stephen F. Austin State University faculty members in the Department of Geology to support their work identifying existing geologic hazards along a roadway in Culberson County, Texas, just south of Carlsbad, New Mexico.

“It is an honor to have been asked by TxDOT to conduct research that will assist them in developing better practices for road stability within an area that is prone to significant failure,” said Dr. Kevin Stafford, project director and SFA associate professor of geology. “As oilfield activity expands throughout Culberson County, the heavy truck traffic is having a significant impact on infrastructure that was originally only intended for light/ranch traffic. As the only person who has significantly worked on the gypsum karst in this area, I have been fortunate to have been contracted by TxDOT to assess the karst phenomena associated with road failure and help them develop engineering solutions.”

The first phase of the contract was awarded to Stafford from the University of Texas – El Paso for just more than $60,000. Dr. Wesley Brown, chair of SFA’s Department of Geology, is serving as the project’s co-investigator.

“The first round of funding was an initial assessment of causes of road failure within Culberson County, which proved to be more complicated than originally suspected,” Stafford said. “The causes of failure are numerous and range from initial road construction a half century ago to variable karst manifestations. The first round of funding was very successful in that it identified the types of geohazards in the area. The second round of funding will focus on classifying and delineating the physical extent of each geohazard associated with RM652 in Culberson County.”

Upon successful completion of the project’s first phase, the second round was awarded totaling more than $705,000. The project, Stafford said, is designed to characterize and map out geologically hazardous areas along a 34-mile stretch of road in Culberson County.

“We will be utilizing various techniques to accomplish this, including geophysical surveys, remote sensing, karst surveys and traditional geologic field assessment,” he added. “Geophysical surveys include: high-resolution imaging to depths of 10 meters for sites that have continuously required road repairs; collection of continuous resistivity profiles along the entire stretch of road; and interpretation of shallow ground-penetrating radar throughout the study area for characterization of road-base conditions.

“Karst surveys and geologic field assessment will be carried out in the field with traverse-based field mapping adjacent to RM652, while caves discovered within 100 meters of the right-of-way will be entered and mapped to delineate their spatial extent and determine if they cross beneath RM652.”

Five SFA geology graduate students will be hired for the project this summer. An additional two to three undergraduates will be hired in the latter part of the summer to assist with field mapping and cave exploration. Stafford expects several undergraduate research projects and master’s theses will evolve from the TxDOT grant project.

“Effectively, this contracted research evolved from previous research I conducted prior to joining SFA and has turned out to be a great opportunity to continue work in the region,” Stafford said, “while providing funding to enable students to work in an area and environment that has been cost-prohibitive in previous years because of the distance away from Nacogdoches.”

A limited number of students can still enroll in a weeklong science, technology, engineering and mathematics camp hosted by Stephen F. Austin State University’s STEM Research and Learning Center aimed at engaging East Texas students entering the seventh or eighth grade in hands-on STEM activities.

“The goal is to expose students to STEM disciplines in a way that excites them about the many possibilities in math and science,” said Dr. Jana Redfield, assistant director of the SFA STEM Research and Learning Center, which is part of the College of Sciences and Mathematics. “Each module is about two hours and 45 minutes of hands-on learning, allowing students to not only be exposed to math and science concepts, but to create a spark of interest in a possible future STEM career.”

What math concepts go into the construction of a rollercoaster? Who is the criminal behind a messy crime scene? Investigations in Math and Science, or iMAS, Academy answers these and similar questions during the course of five days. The camp consists of modules that cover chemistry, biology, nursing, engineering, mathematics and physics basics.

In one module, students engage in a crime scene investigation lab designed to simulate activities that take place in a forensic laboratory setting, including DNA glass fragment and chemical analyses. In another, students are exposed to the high-energy bustle of a hospital emergency room and learn four of many skills—blood loss estimation, aseptic techniques, cardiovascular and respiratory assessments, and virtual intravenous infusion. Students also will investigate effects of acid on eggshells using flat and carbonated root beer during the “Acid Attacks!” activity.

“So much goes in to the development of the curriculum for iMAS. The iMAS modules are designed to be student centered, hands-on and fun. They are initially written by STEM faculty members and area master teachers,” Redfield said. “Once written, modules are reviewed for accuracy and science/math appropriateness for the grade level, then piloted during the school year to insure student engagement. Several of the modules created for this year’s iMAS are brand new, such as the 3-D printing/engineering and rollercoasters. Others have been proven successful in past summer iMAS Academies.”

New to iMAS camp is a rollercoaster module inviting participants to explore mathematical concepts as they design and build paper rollercoasters from cardstock. The science of motion and the financial literacy component of budgeting and cost analysis also will be explored.

A second new module will utilize state-of-the-art 3D printers acquired by the College of Sciences and Mathematics. In the module, students will create and build a pair of interlocking rings using a computer-aided design program.

The 2016 iMAS Academy will be held from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, June 20-24, on the SFA campus. The cost is $100 per attendee and includes the price of materials, snacks, prizes and a T-shirt. Visit cosm.sfasu.edu/stem/imas-academy to register.

Nacogdoches junior Josh Welch has been awarded the first Gary Parker Art Scholarship at Stephen F. Austin State University.

The SFA Friends of the Visual Arts established the scholarship last year in honor of retired SFA School of Art faculty member Gary Parker, who was employed for 31 years in the School of Art where he not only taught courses but also directed the school’s Summer Art Academy program for children and served as the gallery preparator.

The FVA has established scholarships in the name of retiring SFA School of Art professors who were employed in the School of Art for minimum of 10 years before retirement and who contributed in a significant way to the mission of the Friends of the Visual Arts board and its fundraising activities, such as consistently donating art for fundraisers, by providing monetary assistance, or by serving on FVA committees or board.

Jeff Brewer, assistant professor of sculpture and drawing in the School of Art, nominated Welch for the award. Among the Parker scholarship criteria is the expectation that the recipient “must have demonstrated promise in the field of art by using their hands and minds to create art.”

“Josh has a passion for sculpture, a genuine excitement for knowledge and the drive to make a difference,” Brewer wrote in his recommendation. “He is more than deserving of this scholarship in that he embodies all the ideals that Gary Parker champions. He makes (art) not only with his hands but with his head and heart.”

Brewer said he has watched Welch “push” himself, his fellow students and others, including his teachers, toward excellence, and he is always willing to go the extra mile.

“When I need a hand, he is there without prompting and is the last one to leave the studios at night, he said. “Be it Art Alliance, Showcase Saturday, Art Day or keeping me on task, Josh is my ‘go-to.'”

Welch will attend a residency this summer in Germany.

“He has what it takes to make it in the art world, and this scholarship will only help propel him faster in that direction,” Brewer said.

The SFA Friends of the Visual Arts is made up of community members who support the arts in East Texas and provide monetary assistance to students enrolling in the School of Art by conducting fundraisers, such as the annual 12 X 12 event every July.