Everything Nac

New choreographic works created by the Stephen F. Austin State University dance faculty and guest artists Elias Kababa, Lacreacia Sanders and Torens Johnson will be featured in the program “Omnium-gatherum” presented Feb. 15 through 17 in W.M. Turner Auditorium, Griffith Fine Arts Building, on the SFA campus.

“‘Omnium-gatherum’ means a collection of miscellaneous people or things,” said Heather Samuelson, coordinator of the dance program and an associate director within the SFA School of Theatre and Dance. “Our choreographic works are so diverse and interestingly different from one to the next, we thought this was a good description of what will be presented.”

The Repertory Company consists of talented dance majors and minors who will perform the works of faculty members and guest artists. In addition to the Repertory Dance Company, the Verve Contemporary Dance Company will be featured in the concert. Samuelson is the founder and artistic director of Verve, which was established in 2015. The company consists of dancers from Nacogdoches and surrounding communities, SFA dance alumni and current dance program members who perform regionally and nationally at select venues.

All works presented in the Repertory Dance concert are original works of choreography created this year, Samuelson said.

“It’s a beautiful thing to see the students engaged and loving the different genres of dance presented in this concert,” she said. “Their joy and commitment to each piece of choreography is a reflection of how each artist’s work has transformed them and sculpted them into performing artists.”

“Omnium-gatherum” performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Feb. 15 and 16, and at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, in Turner Auditorium. Dance alumni will be recognized at the Saturday performance.

General ticket prices are $15 for general admission; $10 for seniors (62+); $8 for SFA faculty and staff; $8 for youth and non-SFA students; and $5 for SFA students. To purchase tickets, call the Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit sfasu.edu/boxoffice. Tickets can be purchased at the door where cash or checks will be accepted.

For more information, contact Samuelson at samuelsoh@sfasu.edu or the School of Theatre and Dance at (936) 468-4003 or sfasu.edu/theatre-dance.

The University Series at Stephen F. Austin State University brings comedian Joe Zimmerman to Nacogdoches for a performance at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22, in W.M. Turner Auditorium, Griffith Fine Arts Building, on the SFA campus.

A favorite of late-night shows such as “The Tonight Show,” “Last Comic Standing” and “Comedy Central,” Zimmerman is a frequent performer on university campuses and at corporate events.

“I am a huge comedy fan,” said Dr. Gary Wurtz, dean of the Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts, which hosts the University Series. “I became aware of Joe Zimmerman after hearing him on Sirius radio, as well as watching his performances on YouTube. When I had the opportunity to book him on this year’s University Series, I jumped on it and can’t wait to have him here.”

Zimmerman grew up in Morgantown, West Virginia, and started his comedy career in North Carolina shortly after graduating Davidson College where he was an English major. While starting out in the South, he launched a tour with three friends called “The Beards of Comedy” and landed a record deal with Comedy Central Records. In 2012, he moved to New York City, quickly appearing on “The Late Late Show” and John Oliver’s “New York Stand-Up Show,” as well as Montreal’s “Just for Laughs” festival.

His resume has since grown to include “The Tonight Show,” “Conan,” “Nickelodeon,” “Last Comic Standing,” his own “Comedy Central Half Hour,” and the Comedy Cellar’s topical show, “This Week at the Comedy Cellar.” His first solo album, “Smiling at Wolves,” reached No. 2 on the iTunes comedy charts, and, shortly after, Paste Magazine named him one of 10 Best Comedians from the South. His second album, “Innocence,” came out on Comedy Central Records in 2018 and is played regularly on Sirius XM radio. In 2019, he recorded a dry bar special with upwards of a million views on YouTube. His one-hour comedy special “Cult Classic,” directed by Nate Bargatze and produced by 800 Pound Gorilla, came out in 2023. Zimmerman has also contributed humor writing to The New York Times and The New Yorker, and he has appeared on numerous podcasts and radio.

His opening act is Justin Smith, a New York City-based comedian from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Smith’s biography states he was “raised in a religious household, went to a conservative Christian college, worked in the oilfield and loves BBQ and the phrase ‘fixen to.'” He is also described as “quick-witted, brutally honest and incredibly engaging.” His show dialog ranges from making fun of high school proms on MTV to talking about the intricate details of comedy on PBS.

Single event tickets for Joe Zimmerman and Justin Smith are adult, $30; senior (62 or better), $24; SFA faculty/staff, $15; non-SFA student/youth, $12; SFA student, $3. To purchase tickets, call the Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS, or visit sfasu.edu/boxoffice. The Fine Arts Box Office is located in the second floor lobby, Griffith Fine Arts Building, SFA campus. A reception will be held in the second-floor lobby immediately following the performance.

Dr. Matibur Zamadar, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Stephen F. Austin State University, has received a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for his second invention of a drug to treat bacteria that is resistant to most existing antibiotics and kills millions of people around the world with an invasive infection.

Zamadar created a drug to reduce antimicrobial resistance, which occurs when medication loses its ability to kill bacteria. This drug is effective at a relatively low single dose or reduced repeat doses. His invention is effective to treat cancer as well as bacterial infection complications of cancer treatment, especially when cancer cells are surgically removed.

“Pathogenic bacteria often develop resistance against conventional antibacterial agents, which lose efficacy over time,” Zamadar said. “By developing adaptive bacterial resistance, many bacteria become resistant to specific antibacterial structures. As bacteria become more resistant to antibacterial medications, dosages are increased until highest doses become ineffective against the most resistant bacteria.”

Overuse of antibiotics often lead to the emergence of more resistant pathogens. Zamadar’s invention will counteract this.

“Studies project that by 2050 antibacterial resistance will kill 300 million people worldwide, and total world economic loss will be around $100 trillion if antibacterial resistance is not addressed,” he said. “Also, conventional antibiotics are costly and not easily synthesized or readily available to poorer developing or certain developed countries. Patients receiving extended treatment for cancer are at high risk of developing bacterial infections and bacterial resistance due to prolonged neutropenia, lymphocyte dysfunction, and use of invasive devices.”

Patients using chemotherapy drugs will benefit from this invention since they are usually unable to get rid of live bacteria from the tumor site. According to Zamadar, physicians often administer a high dose of antibiotics to cancer patients, which leads to resistant pathogen issues and can cause negative side effects for patients after tumor surgery.

Zamadar began the patent application process in 2020. This is the second U.S. patent granted to a professor in SFA’s College of Sciences and Mathematics within the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Zamadar previously obtained one U.S. patent and two international patents from India and South Africa for his prior invention for a drug for cancer treatment in 2022.

“Obtaining this patent would not have been possible without support from SFA faculty members and students,” Zamadar said. “Dr. Michele Harris, associate dean and professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and undergraduate students Aqeeb Ali and Jacob Herschmann provided technical support throughout the patent process. Retired patent attorney Tom Pruitt provided his expertise to file the patent application.”

To learn more about SFA’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, visit sfasu.edu/chemistry.

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