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Stephen F. Austin State University’s entrepreneurship academic program and Arnold Center for Entrepreneurship in the Rusche College of Business were collectively named one of the top three emerging entrepreneurship programs in the nation by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

This award recognizes colleges and universities for their efforts developing nascent entrepreneurship programs that demonstrate outstanding progress toward becoming comprehensive, bold and innovative educational programs with early records of student impact.

“We introduced the entrepreneurship major in fall 2020 and opened the center in 2023, and it is amazing to see what ACE has accomplished in just a short amount of time and the impact that it is having not only for SFA students but also for the community,” said Matthew Smilor, ACE director. “This award validates a lot of work Rusche College of Business faculty, staff and students, as well as local community members, have done to build this hub for entrepreneurs in East Texas.”

Saint Louis University’s Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship and the University of Buffalo’s School of Management were the other two finalists in the category.

“From the Lumberjack Entrepreneurship Competition to the Piney Woods Entrepreneurship Network, ACE plays a central role in the entrepreneurial ecosystem of East Texas and trains students to create, explore, invent, pioneer, imagine and innovate,” said Dr. Raymond Jones, director of SFA’s entrepreneurship program. “Our students and community are the wellspring for the startup of new businesses and the growth of existing enterprises.”

Founded in 1981, the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship is an inclusive community of educators, researchers and entrepreneurs advancing entrepreneurship education through bold teaching, scholarship and practice. They are considered the premier entrepreneurship educational organization in the U.S.

ACE and its subunit, the Small Business Resource Hub, are two of four entities launched in recent years by the Rusche College of Business to help bolster local businesses. The others are Business and Community Services and the Center for Business and Economic Research.

For more information on SFA’s entrepreneurial offerings, visit sfasu.edu/ace.

ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY

Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 37 academic facilities, nine residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering more than 120 areas of study. Learn more at sfasu.edu.

By University Marketing Communications

The Children’s Performing Arts Series at Stephen F. Austin State University will present two performances of “Oskar’s Bigger Bully Battle” Thursday, March 7, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus.

Oskar is the central character in a series of educational plays by Houston-based Alley Theatre. Oskar is a bright, excitable and extremely creative fifth-grader. In this play, a very thorny incident shocks the schoolyard, and everyone is stumped and confused. But never fear – Oskar to the rescue!

“In this wacky adventure about the bullying cycle, Oskar learns that everyday comments can start a dangerous chain reaction that stops the whole school in its tracks,” explains Diane Peterson, Fine Arts Box Office manager and director of the children’s series. “‘Oskar and the Bigger Bully Battle’ encourages students to stand up for victims, while also teaching them how to express empathy for bullies – helping everybody on the playground to move happily forward together.”

The Children’s Performing Arts Series, presented by the Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts, features professional touring shows designed to entertain, educate and engage young audiences of all ages, according to Peterson.

“Oskar’s Bigger Bully Battle” targets children in prekindergarten through fifth grades. Performances are at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Turner Auditorium is located in Griffith Fine Arts Building, 2222 Alumni Drive.

Tickets are $9 for individuals and $7 per person for groups of 20 or more. Call 936.468.6407 or visit sfasu.edu/boxoffice for tickets or more information.