Everything Nac

During its quarterly meeting Sunday, the Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents appointed Dr. Steve Westbrook to serve as SFA’s interim president until a permanent president assumes the office.

Former SFA president Dr. Scott Gordon and the university mutually agreed it is in the best interest of both parties for the employment relationship to end on Sunday.

Westbrook addressed regents Monday afternoon, citing his long history with and love for the university as assurance that he’s happy to be called upon to help where needed. He is coming out of retirement, he added, to help prepare the university for the upcoming legislative session and to offer guidance during the transition to a new president.

Westbrook, who was first employed by the university in 1981, served as vice president for university affairs from 2007 to 2020 and was the university’s interim president following the death of former president Dr. Baker Pattillo until Gordon’s installation as university president. Since his retirement, Westbrook has continued to serve as an adjunct faculty member and in 2021 was designated by the regents as vice president for university affairs emeritus. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SFA and earned a doctorate in higher education leadership from Texas A&M University – Commerce.

During Monday’s continuation of the meeting, the regents also recognized Dr. Steve Taaffe, professor of history, as Regents Scholar. Nominated by SFA faculty members, Taaffe received a $2,000 grant to support his research efforts.

In addition, the regents approved faculty and staff promotions and appointments as well as granted tenure to several faculty members effective fall 2022.

In the Rusche College of Business, regents promoted Dr. Kelly Noe to professor of accounting.

In the James I. Perkins College of Education, regents promoted Dr. Derek Cegelka to associate professor of health science, Dr. Rachel Jumper to associate professor of human sciences, Dr. Sarah Straub to associate professor of education studies, Dr. Nina Ellis-Hervey to professor of human services, Dr. Todd Whitehead to professor of kinesiology, and Dr. Robbie Steward to professor emeritus of human services.

Regents granted tenure to Cegelka; Jumper; Dr. Flóra Faragó, associate professor of human sciences; and Dr. Heather Munro, assistant professor of education studies.

In the Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts, regents promoted James Adams and Dr. Jacob Walburn to associate professors of music and Dr. J.D. Salas to professor of music. Adams and Walburn also were awarded tenure by the regents.

In the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, regents promoted Dr. Stephanie Jones to associate professor of agriculture and awarded her tenure.

In the College of Liberal and Applied Arts, regents promoted Dr. Jose Carbajal to associate professor of social work; Dr. John Pruit to associate professor of anthropology, geography and sociology; Dr. George Day to associate professor of government; and Drs. Dusty Jenkins and Sarah Savoy to professors of psychology.

Regents awarded tenure to Carbajal, Day and Pruit.

In the College of Sciences and Mathematics, regents promoted Drs. James Adams and Christopher Aul to associate professors of physics, engineering and astronomy; Dr. Bidisha Sengupta to associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry; and Drs. Robert Henderson and Jane Long to professors of mathematics and statistics.

Regents awarded tenure to Adams and Aul.

In the Steen Library, Shannon Bowman was promoted to librarian III, and Edward Iglesias was awarded tenure.

Regents approved the following faculty appointments in the Department of Human Services and Educational Leadership: Dr. Maria Betancourt-Smith and Dr. Richard Skuza to visiting assistant professors and Jessica Conn to visiting instructor. In the Department of Kinesiology and Health Science, Robert Clark was appointed visiting assistant professor.

For staff, regents approved the appointments of Amber Mims to program director for the Academic Assistance and Resource Center, Elizabeth Guerra to teacher at SFA Charter School, Jennifer Krause to senior representative in Human Resources, Isabel Rodriguez to area coordinator in Campus Living, Katherine West to compliance specialist in the Title IX office, Gina Oglesbee to vice president for Finance and Administration, and Jane Ann Bridges to interim chief audit executive.

In the Department of Athletics, regents approved the following staff appointments: Dennis Driscoll to associate athletic director of strategic communications; Madison Wilkerson to volleyball assistant coach; and Dylan Belanger, William Bleil, Joe Cauthen and Ikponmwosa Ike Eguae to football assistant coaches.

The regents also approved the following staff changes: Kristin Bangtson from program director of AARC to assistant director of athletics academic services, and Travis Killen from systems manager in Information Technology Services to systems assistant director in ITS.

Lastly, regents approved the retirement of Dr. Shirley Luna, executive director of University Marketing Communications, after 23 years of service.

As part of the new Stephen F. Austin State University President’s Innovation Fund, more than 20 SFA faculty and staff members will present their award-winning research at the Celebration of Innovation from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. April 20 and from noon to 2:30 p.m. April 21 in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Twilight Ballroom.

“The importance of grants like those awarded through the President’s Innovation Fund give faculty opportunities to engage in research initiatives, which in turn further improves the university’s standing as an academic institution,” said Dr. Freddie Avant, interim dean of the Office of Research and Graduate Studies.

The presentation topics range from a study-away cross-country bus trip to early detection and intervention of disengaged students.

The President’s Innovation Fund was launched last year to invest in initiatives that creatively fuel increased student enrollment, engagement and success. For the 2021-22 academic year, more than $100,000 in funding was awarded through a competitive proposal review by a selection committee.

The awards were funded for a year. They include two types of grants offered through SFA’s research and graduate studies — Innovation Seed Awards for small-scale recruitment or retention pilot projects and Innovation Implementation and Research Awards for large-scale student success projects that can be adopted at the university level.

The schedule for these presentations, which are open to the public, is available on the President’s Innovation Fund website.

Refreshments will be served. RSVP to grants@sfasu.edu by April 18 if attending in person or to obtain information to view via Zoom.

Stephen F. Austin State University art student Christina Noto has been awarded a scholarship from the Advertising Education Foundation of Houston.

A senior from Austin, Noto is the 2022 winner of the AD2 Houston Dwight Douthit Scholarship Fund. A graphic design major with minors in physics and astronomy, she will receive a $5,000 award. Noto is only the second SFA recipient in the school’s history to receive an AEFH scholarship.

AEFH awards scholarships to college sophomores, juniors and seniors pursuing undergraduate or post graduate degrees in advertising, communications, interactive marketing, journalism, radio/TV, commercial art, public relations or related fields. Students attending colleges and universities located in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas, the four states in which American Advertising Federation District 10 is located, are eligible to apply.

“It is such an honor to be recognized for my work, especially in competition with students from different states,” she said. “It just feels like the artistic community is where I belong, and that means the world to me.”

Daniel Anguiano, associate professor in the School of Art and graphic design area advisor, first advised Noto last spring, just after she changed her major to graphic design.

“She had so many science credits; she has two minors, in physics and astronomy,” Anguiano said. “She works hard and is engaged in everything she does. She’s also inquisitive and seeks out learning. Christina is one of my best students, and she just got started less than a year ago in the art program. I see a bright future for her.”

Following a planned December 2022 graduate date, Noto aspires to either obtain a master’s degree in instructional design or seek employment with a company “that will allow me to further develop and utilize the skills I have learned through my university.”

Noto attended the AEFH awards luncheon where she met and networked with other artist winners. “I see it as an opportunity to get my name out there and bounce around ideas with my peers,” she said.

“Christina is a great example of how our art students are being recognized for their success,” said Chris Talbot, director of the School of Art at SFA. “Our graphic design concentration, in particular, encourages students to network, compete in competitions, and apply to scholarships. We are so proud that her hard work and talent have been rewarded, and we wish her the best in her creative career.”

For more information about the SFA School of Art, call (936) 468-4804.

Stephen F. Austin State University student journalists received 25 awards from the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association for their performance at a statewide journalism competition and for their contributions to campus media outlets throughout 2021.

The Pine Log, SFA’s student newspaper, earned 12 awards for previously published/broadcast content, and the Stone Fort yearbook won nine awards for its 2020-21 volume. KSAU, SFA’s student-run radio station, also received a first-place award in the advertising/PSA/Promo-Audio category.

Nine student members of The Pine Log and Stone Fort staffs attended the annual TIPA conference in late March and competed in on-site competitions against student journalists from other TIPA-member institutions. The Pine Log Editor-in-Chief Alyssa Coker won third place in Critical Review, and Stone Fort section editor Emma Crisp won first place in Print Advertising Design and honorable mention in Sports Photo. Approximately 300 student journalists and advisors representing 34 Texas colleges and universities attended the three-day event held in Fort Worth.

“Our students work exceptionally hard throughout the year to produce high-quality content for our student publications and other media outlets, and accolades from the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association reinforce the value of that work and the importance of student media’s role on a college campus,” said Amy Roquemore, SFA director of student publications and divisional media. “I’m obviously very pleased with their latest recognition, but I’m even more proud of the hard work our students put in each day to keep the campus community informed and to provide a forum for discussion of important issues facing our campus and our society as a whole.”

Meaghan Morton, Stone Fort editor-in-chief and graduate assistant for the Student Publications/Divisional Media department, attended the conference this year for the fifth time. Graduate students are not eligible to compete; however, Morton attended workshops and assisted undergraduates in navigating the conference and preparing for competition.

“I like to describe TIPA as a revival for the journalist’s spirit,” Morton said. “These students are truly put on the spot in their competitions, which often present them with the most challenging journalistic obstacles they have been up against so far in their career. Watching them network, grow in their field and gain confidence as young journalists is rewarding.”

Coker, a senior, said she was grateful for the opportunity to attend the annual TIPA conference and competition, which was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.

“Participating in the TIPA convention was such a rewarding experience in itself,” she said. “Besides the fact that Student Publications staff members earned several awards, the staff deserves every ounce of recognition they get, and it’s so nice to applaud them for their hard work with a fun learning experience.”

Established in 1909 at Baylor University, TIPA is the largest and oldest collegiate press association in the United States. The organization works to recognize excellence in campus media and open channels of communication and cooperation among student media programs at two and four-year universities in Texas.

The following is a complete listing of TIPA awards SFA students earned for work produced during the 2021 calendar year:

The Pine Log
First place, Breaking News – Alyssa Coker, editor-in-chief
Third place, Breaking News – Alyssa Coker, editor-in-chief
Third place, Overall Web Design – Staff
Third place, General News Photo – Emily Nava, photographer
Honorable mention, Sports Column – Renee Fain, managing editor
Honorable mention, Multimedia Feature – Emma Hill, former news editor; Renee Fain,
managing editor; Elena Barnes, former video coordinator
Honorable mention, Editorial – Emma Hill, former news editor
Honorable mention, Feature Story – Emma Hill, former news editor
Honorable mention, General Column – Emma Hill, former news editor
Honorable mention, Editorial Cartoon – Mary Mone, former illustrator
Honorable mention, Photo Story – Lizeth Rodriguez, former photo coordinator
Honorable mention, In-Depth News Reporting Video – Emma Hill, former news editor

Stone Fort
First place, Environment Portrait – D’Marcus McDowell, former photographer
First place, Feature Photo – Nick Andrews, former photographer
Second place, Illustration – Jordan Butts, section editor
Second place, Sports Page Design – Jordan Butts, section editor; Porter Newman, former
section editor; Meaghan Morton, editor-in-chief
Second place, Cover Design – Staff
Third place, Static Information Graphic – Staff
Third place, Sports Feature Photo – D’Marcus McDowell, former photographer
Honorable mention, Inside News Spread Design – Jordan Butts, section editor
Honorable mention, Sports Feature Photo – Lizeth Rodriguez, former photographer

Mass Communication Department
First place, Advertising/PSA/Promo-Audio – Shaylin Simmons (KSAU)