Everything Nac

Christopher Talbot, director of the School of Art at Stephen F. Austin State University, announced the recipients of SFA and Friends of the Visual Arts Scholarships for the 2016-2017 academic year at the recent opening of the 33rd Annual Art Alliance Spring Show. More than $34,000 in scholarships was awarded.

Recipients included:

• Tristan Brewster-Arnold, Cleveland junior, awarded a Patricia Roberdeau Mast Scholarship.

• Sarah Jentsch, Etoile sophomore, awarded a Patricia Roberdeau Mast Scholarship.

• Shelby Locklin, incoming freshman from Southlake, awarded a Regents Scholarship for housing.

• Emily Attebery, incoming freshman from Tyler, awarded a Regents Scholarship for housing.

• Gabriela Alejandra Hijar Soto, Creel, Mexico, graduate student, awarded the Piero Fenci Scholarship for Ceramic Arts.

• Korey Burns, Grayson, Louisiana, graduate student, awarded the Eloise Chambers Adams Art Scholarship.

• Jacob Moffett, Hockley sophomore, awarded the Robert Kinsell Art Scholarship and the John and Doris Daniel Art Scholarship.

• Alexandra Rodrigues, Montoursville, Pennsylvania, graduate student, awarded the Brian Philip Joseph LaBarbera Memorial Art Scholarship, the Debbie Simpson/Terry Miller Memorial Art Scholarship and the Stephen Weeks Memorial Art Scholarship.

• Amber Law, incoming freshman from Pasadena, awarded the Art Alliance Scholarship and the Diane, Casey and Court Fouts Art Scholarship.

• Krystal Hornung, incoming sophomore from Garden City, Kansas, awarded the Elsie Arscott Art Scholarship.

• Jacqueline Morales, Plano junior, awarded the Gary Q. Frields Art Scholarship.

• Josh Welch, Nacogdoches junior, awarded the Gary Parker Art Scholarship.

• Victoria Sturm, Katy senior, awarded the Charles D. Jones Art Scholarship.

• Julia Lott, Rockwall sophomore, awarded the Melba Cranford Memorial Art Scholarship.

• Bailey Idom, Nacogdoches graduate student, awarded the Snyder Family Art Scholarship.

• Jordan Weaver, incoming freshman from Buda, awarded the Jack R. and Claudine W. McKinney Memorial Art Scholarship.

• Sherry Snowden, Nacogdoches sophomore, awarded the Barbara Brown Shoenewolf Art Scholarship.

• Jessica Massey, Center junior, awarded the E. Diane Ford Art Education Scholarship.

• Carlton Herbert, Longview graduate student, awarded the Carolyn and Richard Skurla Graduate Scholarship.

The Art Alliance student organization at Stephen F. Austin State University recently held its 33rd Annual Spring Art Show in the School of Art galleries. Forty-three art students entered 86 works.

Abelardo Morell, distinguished photographer and juror of Texas National 2016, juried the show. He chose 41 works for inclusion.

The winners Morell selected included DeAnndra Mercer, Texarkana senior, first place for “No More,” acrylic on paper; Lindsay Hill, Nacogdoches senior, second place, for “Window in Garrison,” archival inkjet print; and Bethany Sailer, Mineral Wells junior, third place, for “Carriage Ride,” oil on panel.

Honorable mentions went to Randi Vinson Davis, Henderson senior, for “Bedroom Shadows,” relief print; Megan Henderson, Nacogdoches senior, for “Static,” laser cut woodblock print; and Jalonni Weaver, Fort Worth junior, for “Intensity,” inkjet print.

Each winner received a cash prize.

Stephen F. Austin State University theatre major Kathleen Easterling of Central Heights was recently selected as one of two national Alpha Psi Omega Scholarship recipients for 2015-2016.

Continuing a tradition of excellence in the SFA School of Theatre, Easterling’s selection represents the fourth time in seven years an SFA theatre student has been chosen for this prestigious award, according to Dr. Richard Jones, professor of theatre at SFA and advisor to SFA’s Beta Phi cast of Alpha Psi Omega. Jones nominated Easterling for the award.

The scholarship, presented by the national office of the Alpha Psi Omega theatre honor society, is to be used to further a recipient’s education and/or professional goals in theatre. The criteria are outstanding achievement in theatre work and academic performance, Jones said.

“It’s very clear that the judges do indeed value both scholarship and versatility,” Jones said. “Kathleen has been a model student (a perfect 4.0 GPA) and an active participant in our theatre program, both as an actor and as a costume designer, wardrobe master and stitcher. She interned in the costume shop at the Texas Shakespeare Festival in Kilgore last summer.

“Kathleen is one of those students you just want in your classroom or working on your show,” he added. “She’s always prepared; she always works hard; she is always professional and positive.”

Dr. Bret Jones, Alpha Psi Omega’s national business manager, said many impressive applications were submitted, and Easterling’s “stood out.” In notifying Easterling of her award, he wrote, “The selection committee was very impressed with the application materials submitted. You should be very proud of your accomplishments and of this recognition from the Alpha Psi Omega/Delta Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society. Many fine applications were submitted, and yours stood out.”

In nominating his student, Richard Jones wrote: “She’s a solid actor, an excellent costumer in terms of both design and construction, and one of the top dozen or so scholars I’ve seen in a teaching career that began in 1979. To top it all off, she’s universally liked as well as respected: when I say I’ve literally never heard a bad word about her from faculty or students, I do mean literally.”

Easterling is a senior theatre major and music minor at SFA. As an SFA student, she has been involved with costuming, acting and singing. She has acted as wardrobe master for several shows, including “Trojan Barbie,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and “Alice in Wonderland” and the School of Music’s opera presentations of “Gianni Schicchi” and “Suor Angelica,” and, most recently, “The Bartered Bride.” This past year, Easterling has fulfilled the roles of assistant costume designer for “The Arabian Nights” and co-costume designer for “Clybourne Park.” She has also acted in theatre productions of “Blood Wedding,” “Spamalot” and “Macbeth.” She was also involved with the outreach program, The Fredonia Players. She currently serves as the co-historian of the Beta Phi cast and is the secretary-elect for next year. Outside of the university, Easterling will return this summer to the Texas Shakespeare Festival as a professional costume stitcher. She enjoys other artistic outlets, besides theatre and music, such as crocheting, baking, scrapbooking and drawing.

“Those of us who work with people like Kathleen every day already know this, but this is just one more indication that our students can absolutely compete with their peers at any other institution in the country,” Richard Jones said.

The Beta Phi cast of Alpha Psi Omega, founded in 1936, is one of the oldest in the organization and one of the oldest honor societies at SFA.

Two Stephen F. Austin State University students were among 47 undergraduates chosen from a nationwide pool to receive scholarships through the Phi Eta Sigma national honor society.

Biochemistry sophomore Carmel Tovar, left, received a $1,000 scholarship. Tovar just finished her tenure as the SFA Phi Eta Sigma president for the 2015-16 school year and said “the scholarship reassures me that my hard work is paying off. It motivates me to keep going.”

Biology senior Jamie Weihe, right, received $6,000 through the Nancy S. Kaplan Scholarship. Weihe was past-president of the SFA chapter of Phi Eta Sigma and currently serves on the organization’s national board.

“This scholarship drastically helps support my college education,” Weihe said. “I have been heavily involved in the organization, so it’s nice to see that pay off.”

The Stephen F. Austin State University Psychology Club and Psi Chi chapter, an international psychology honors society, will host the inaugural Psychology Research Seminar Conference Tuesday, May 10, in the McKibben Education Building.

“This is a conference that will allow the students in PSY 497 to present their posters for the research that they have conducted all semester,” said Kristopher Nichols, junior psychology major and Psi Chi president. “We believe that this would be a great opportunity for students in early psychology classes to see the kind of research opportunities that are possible for undergraduate students.”

Fourteen presentations will be given between two poster sessions. Research topics to be covered include “The Effects of Gender and Mood on Perceptions of Mental Illness,” “Perceptions of the Insanity Defense,” “Police in the Media and Their Effects on Belief in a Just World” and “Inducing Pro-Choice Opinions with the Hypocrisy Paradigm.”

Nichols, Psychology Club President Justin Lovett, and Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Lauren Brewer will give opening remarks at 10:30 a.m. The first poster session will begin at 10:45 a.m. and the second at 11:45 a.m. The event will end at 12:45 p.m.

The conference is free, and the public and SFA community are invited to attend.