Everything Nac

Stephen F. Austin State University’s environmental science program was named as one of the nation’s top 50 programs by environmentalscience.org, an organization that serves as an advocate for environmental science education and careers.

According to the organization’s website, the rankings were determined through an analysis of published surveys, student, school and career data, as well as data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and National Center for Education Statistics.

“I think the thing that we strive for is to make sure that our students receive the training that will lead them to a career in environmental science,” said Dr. Kenneth Farrish, director of SFA’s Division of Environmental Science. “Our philosophy is to produce graduates who are problem solvers.”

Farrish also believes the collaborative nature of SFA’s environmental science program is advantageous to students. Students enrolled in SFA’s environmental science program complete an intensive curriculum comprised of fundamental science classes from SFA’s College of Science and Mathematics, as well as applied sciences from the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture.

SFA also offers a Master of Science in environmental science. Through this program, students may pursue a focus of occupational and environmental health through a partnership with the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler.

According to Farrish, the job placement rate in the environmental science field for SFA’s environmental science alumni is near 100 percent. Furthermore, the division’s faculty members regularly communicate with alumni and industry leaders to determine ways in which to strengthen the program.

For more information about SFA’s environmental science program, visit environmental.sfasu.edu.

The Stephen F. Austin State University Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture will host its annual Farm and Forestry Day from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 25, at the Walter C. Todd Agricultural Research Center.

The family friendly event aims to expose the community to the outdoors and agriculture by providing free, exploratory opportunities, including hayrides, face painting, outdoor cooking and nature-based activities through Nacogdoches Naturally, an outdoor adventure program of SFA Gardens.

“We just want to give the community an opportunity to see farm animals and also expose them to what goes on at the farm,” said Dr. Erin Brown, SFA associate professor of animal science.

SFA’s Walter C. Todd Agricultural Research Center is located on County Road 123, off U.S. Highway 259 North in Nacogdoches.

For more information, contact Brown at (936) 468-3705.

Immediately after Dr. Roger Masse, assistant professor of wildlife in Stephen F. Austin State University’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, completed his lecture on safety and the best techniques for finding vertebrates like salamanders and lizards, 25 eighth-graders from Nacogdoches County ISD middle schools enthusiastically ventured out into the sun-dappled forest floor of SFA’s Tucker Woods, turning over logs and peering into thickets for the elusive creatures.

The enthusiasm for their surroundings and willingness to take on new challenges is exactly what the sponsors had in mind for the Leaders of Tomorrow, or LOT Crew.

The LOT Crew program began 14 years ago as a leadership-development initiative, hosted in collaboration with SFA, the Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce, the City of Nacogdoches and Nacogdoches County ISDs. Since then, the program has provided immersive, community-based experiences for hundreds of local students.

Dr. Judy Abbott, dean of SFA’s James I. Perkins College of Education and chair of the Nacogdoches Chamber of Commerce education committee, said the program’s concept is to develop leadership skills and introduce youth to what it means to be an engaged citizen of the community.

“We make selections of the experiences on a monthly basis to introduce the students to different aspects of the city and show them areas where citizens might have influence in serving on boards or through leadership to help the community,” Abbott said.

This month, the students visited SFA’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, exploring an array of subjects, including applications of spatial science in forestry and city planning, sustainable community-based agriculture, solar power and wildlife conservation.

Dr. Dave Kulhavy, Lacy Hunt Distinguished Professor of forest entomology and landscape ecology at SFA, helped coordinate the students’ visit.

“It is important for young students to see the ways in which they may make a difference, work outdoors and use cutting-edge technology in the field of natural resources,” Kulhavy said. He also added by exposing students to this early in their lives, they may better prepare for college and a career in natural resource management.

Josh Roy, a student at Nacogdoches’ Mike Moses Middle School, said what he learned while visiting with Dr. Jared Barnes, assistant professor of horticulture at SFA, will help him improve the summer garden he and his family recently planted.

Dr. Keri Launius, college/career coordinator for Nacogdoches ISD, said through the LOT Program, those involved are investing in the future of Nacogdoches.

“Nacogdoches is a great place to live, and we want to create good citizens for our community, intelligent citizens and kids that do good things for other people,” she said.

Seven Stephen F. Austin State University faculty members were recently honored for their teaching abilities at the annual Teaching Excellence Convocation.

The Teaching Excellence Awards were established in 1994 to honor outstanding classroom teachers at SFA. Each of the university’s six colleges selects a member of its faculty to receive the annual award based on knowledge of subject matter, quality of lectures and assignments, enthusiasm for teaching, interest in and availability to students, commitment to continuous improvement, and contribution to the quality of teaching within SFA by assisting and encouraging other faculty members. The 2015 recipients are as follows:

Nelson Rusche College of Business

Dr. Kelly Noe, CPA, CGMA, serves as assistant professor of accounting in the Gerald W. Schlief School of Accountancy. She teaches accounting information systems, intermediate accounting and graduate accounting research. Noe is an award-winning teacher, as well as researcher. She earned her doctoral degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio, master’s degree from SFA and bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina. Noe serves as the faculty adviser for Beta Alpha Psi and is active in the community, serving as treasurer of the Piney Woods Cattle Barron’s Gala, the Humane Society of Angelina County and the Texas Department of Public Safety Officers’ Association Auxiliary.

James I. Perkins College of Education

Dr. Mary Catherine Breen is an assistant professor in the Department of Secondary Education and Educational Leadership and serves as the principal investigator for CONFIANZA, a federal grant program. Breen involves her students in inquiry related to disciplinary literacy and English as a second language and leads urban education field experience partnerships with Houston schools. Breen holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Texas at Austin. She received her master’s degree in English and her doctoral degree in educational leadership from SFA.

College of Fine Arts

Neal Cox serves as associate professor in the School of Art. He has exhibited his work in a range of solo, group and juried exhibitions. Cox has conducted workshops and taught printmaking and book arts during summer programs at the Santa Reparata International School of Art in Florence, Italy. He earned his Master of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Texas at San Antonio and Brigham Young University, respectively.

Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture

Dr. Michael Maurer, associate professor of agriculture, teaches horticulture courses in plant physiology, greenhouse management, floriculture, weed science, irrigation, plant protection and turfgrass science. Maurer received his doctoral degree from the University of Florida and master’s and bachelor’s degrees from California State University at Fresno.

College of Liberal and Applied Arts

Dr. Tom Segady, professor of sociology, focuses his interests in classical sociological theory and the sociology of religion. He has taught many classes at SFA, including courses in the sociology of India, genetics, social change and ethics, and globalization. Segady received his doctoral degree from the University of Denver and his master’s and bachelor’s degrees from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

College of Sciences and Mathematics

Dr. Matthew Kwiatkowski, associate professor of biology, earned his doctoral degree in biology from Arizona State University, master’s degree from the University of South Dakota and his bachelor’s degree from New Mexico State University. He also completed a post-doctoral fellowship in evolutionary genetics at Colorado State University. Kwiatkowski’s research and teaching focuses on the evolution, ecology and conservation of vertebrate animals, especially reptiles and amphibians.

Adjunct Teaching

James Faucett is an adjunct faculty member in the College of Fine Arts, where he teaches group piano classes for music majors in the School of Music. He also teaches piano privately and is active in the community as a church musician. Faucett earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at SFA in piano performance with a pedagogy emphasis.