Everything Nac

Dozens of students interested in aviation careers joined Stephen F. Austin State University administrators, representatives from HCH Aviation and community leaders at A.L. Mangham Jr. Regional Airport to officially celebrate the arrival of the SFA aviation initiative’s three Piper 100i advanced aircraft.

The initiative launched this fall with 21 SFA students, who refer to themselves as Flying Jacks, enrolled in the program. During last week’s event, the SFA students were joined by students studying aviation at Hudson High School, who visited the Nacogdoches airport to see the SFA planes firsthand and learn more about the program.

“Our students are flying in state-of-the-art planes that boast some of the most advanced equipment,” said Dr. Judy Abbott, dean of SFA’s Perkins College of Education. “A new 10,000-square-foot hangar also is under construction to house the planes and includes 2,000 square feet devoted to classroom space. We are thrilled to partner with HCH Aviation in establishing this program in East Texas.”

Full-motion and fixed-flight simulators also have arrived. Housed in the Education Annex on the SFA campus, aviation students can train on them anytime to sharpen their skills or prepare for their next flight. All the simulators are Federal Aviation Administration-approved training devices, and the students’ time can be logged.

“Both my great-grandfathers flew in World War II,” said Olivia Benson, a freshman from Spring. “I’ve always dreamed of being a pilot. I thought about the Air Force, but my mom didn’t want me to join the military. When I found out about SFA’s program, I was very excited. My goal is to one day fly internationally.”

Just last year, the SFA Board of Regents approved the partnership with HCH Aviation, a specialized aviation training school owned by SFA alumna Kristen Conklin, Jon Hughes and John Hasbun. The company has assisted SFA officials in developing and implementing the initiative based on industry standards and workforce needs.

Offered through the Perkins College of Education’s School of Human Sciences, aviation sciences as a major recently received approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and is awaiting final approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Unlike aviation programs offered elsewhere, SFA’s stands apart in distinct ways — particularly in its promise that students will fly inside advanced aircraft during their freshman year.

“SFA’s program is focused on the individual,” said Sarah Goldberg, a freshman from Allen. “The small class sizes attracted me to the program. I am getting individualized attention, and in only the first month of classes, I have already flown twice. I’m going to one day fly corporate aircraft.”

In addition to a bachelor’s degree in aviation sciences, program graduates will be private pilots qualified to become commercial pilots and to receive their instrument, certified flight instruction, and multi-engine ratings.

“We are training professional aviators, and there are many avenues in which the certificates and skills can be used,” Hughes said. “They will be licensed to fly for airlines, corporate flight departments, aerial photography, law enforcement, sightseeing and more.”

A baccalaureate-level degree also qualifies graduates for management positions with airlines, airports and private companies. Average compensation for qualified pilots and instructors is an even more enticing draw.

“The average salary for professional pilots is more than $140,000 annually,” Hughes said, “making it a wonderful career opportunity for young people to consider.”

Creation of the program did not happen overnight. Discussions surrounding the need for an aviation program at SFA began years ago, and that need was further exacerbated by the impact of the pandemic.

“Post-COVID-19 press releases from airline CEOs have been very specific about the need for new pilots,” said Dr. Chay Runnels, professor and interim director of the School of Human Sciences. “Boeing released a new study in 2020 that projected 763,000 new civil aviation pilots will be needed globally in the next 20 years. In this country alone, almost half of the current airline pilots will be retiring in the next 10 years.”

Abbott said many colleges and universities that offer aviation are experiencing student loads they cannot handle. “This is pushing flying two to three years further down their degree paths,” Abbott said. “Some other institutions are closing their doors to new admissions. It’s truly a perfect time for SFA to become involved in this coursework and degree plan.”

Outreach to East Texas middle and high school students is an integral part of the program. SFA Board of Regents member Jennifer Winston, who is a pilot, helped arrange for 25 Hudson High School students to take part in Thursday’s airport event, along with their instructor, Carla Ladner.

After the Hudson High School students attended the airport event, they traveled to the SFA campus, where they had the opportunity to test their skills on the flight simulators.

“It was a wonderful opportunity for our students to see first-hand the purpose of the information they are learning in our classes,” Ladner said. “SFA’s aviation sciences program will provide new opportunities for camaraderie and dual enrollment that will be a major benefit for our school.”

Nick Pablo, an SFA freshman from Austin, said the event provided a visual representation of the amount of effort going into the program.

“It’s exciting to see people care and that it’s going to go somewhere,” he said.

For more information about SFA’s aviation initiative, visit sfasu.edu/aviation.

The Stephen F. Austin State University Office of Multicultural Affairs will host the annual Homecoming Step Show at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 25 in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Grand Ballroom.

“Strolling can be attributed to the historically Black fraternities and sororities in the early 1900s,” said Veronica Beavers, director of the OMA. “This was a time when many African Americans faced discrimination and obstacles at college institutions. Strolling and stepping showed pride, strength and unity among these organizations.”

The competition will have three rounds with the winners of both rounds winning $250 before facing off for an additional $500.

Applications to participate are available in the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and are due by Oct. 1.

“The Stroll-Off will spotlight the history and practice of strolling and allow organizations to represent their community with the support of the SFA student body,” said Kori Lewis, OMA student ambassador. “All students are welcome to sign up or attend the event and enjoy music and entertainment to kick off homecoming week.”

Tickets are free and may be picked up in the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Due to space constraints, tickets will only guarantee seating between 6 and 6:30 p.m. After 6:30 p.m., seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

By Joanna Armstrong, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University

Dr. Douglas Brinkley, CNN presidential historian and professor of history at Rice University, will present “Discovering America from the Road” from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26, at Stephen F. Austin State University in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Theater.

Originally slated for Sept. 14, the event was postponed due to inclement weather.

Brinkley, whom CNN declared, “a man who knows more about the presidency than any human alive,” is the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities at Rice, an American historian, best-selling author and sought-after commentator on U.S. presidential history. He has authored books on several presidents, including Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan. Nancy Reagan personally selected Brinkley to edit President Reagan’s 2011 presidential diaries.

Brinkley’s presentation will highlight his experiences with one of the most renowned

study away programs in the country’s history — the American Odyssey tour. He will talk about the benefits of seeing America to help better understand its complicated past and its complex present. Brinkley will address how transformational these experiences were and the adventures he had along the way.

While teaching at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Brinkley spearheaded the American Odyssey course. He took students on a natural-gas-powered bus on numerous cross-country treks where they visited historic sites and met cultural icons, including Arthur Miller, Toni Morrison, Jimmy Carter, Morris Dees, Ken Kesey, John Kenneth Galbraith and William S. Burroughs. The class was written about in The New York Times and dozens of other newspapers. The Associated Press wrote, “If you can’t tour the United States yourself, the next best thing is to go along with Douglas Brinkley aboard ‘The Majic Bus.'”

“Stephen F. Austin State University is one of my favorite campuses to visit,” Brinkley said. “I’m excited to tell students and faculty about my American Odyssey tours. I’m glad to know that the spirit of ‘The Majic Bus’ is still alive and well in the age of Covid.”

Dr. Sarah Straub, SFA assistant professor of education studies, was instrumental in bringing Brinkley to SFA. In what Straub considered a “shot in the dark” moment, she reached out to Brinkley after reading one of his books. The pair corresponded, and a friendship was formed.

“While (Brinkley) is impressive on so many levels, I connected with his adventurous spirit and love of learning through the transformational experiences he creates for his students,” Straub said. “Those who attend this talk will leave ready to start their own adventures.”

Brinkley’s presentation helps support Straub’s recruitment initiatives for her own study away program in spring 2022, which is funded in part by the President’s Innovation Award. Brinkley’s visit to SFA marks the second time he’s served as a guest speaker on the campus. He headlined the Archie McDonald Speaker Series in spring 2017.

Six of Brinkley’s books have been selected as The New York Times’ “Notable Books of the Year,” and seven of his publications are The New York Times bestsellers.

Brinkley also has been involved in the environmental conservation and historic preservation community. He has held board or leadership advisory roles in support of the American Museum of Natural History, Yellowstone Park Foundation, National Audubon Society and the Rockefeller-Roosevelt Conservation Roundtable. In 2016, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service honored him with its Annual Heritage Award.

A side passion of Brinkley’s is music, winning a Grammy Award in 2017 in the best jazz ensemble category as co-producer for “Presidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedom,” and he was nominated for a Grammy Award for “Gonzo,” a collaboration with Johnny Depp.

Brinkley has been a frequent contributor to publications such as Vanity Fair, The New York Times, The New Yorker and The Atlantic Monthly. He also serves on the board of trustees at Brevard College and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library.

He completed his bachelor’s degree at Ohio State University and received his doctoral degree in U.S. diplomatic history from Georgetown University in 1989. He then spent a year each at the U.S, Naval Academy and Princeton University teaching history.

Before joining the Rice University faculty, Brinkley served as professor of history and director of the Roosevelt Center at Tulane University in New Orleans. From 1994 until 2005, he was the Stephen E. Ambrose Professor of History and director of the Eisenhower Center for American Studies at the University of New Orleans.

The presentation is free and open to the public. Seating is limited to approximately 150. Face coverings are strongly encouraged but not mandatory.

To register, visit sfasu.edu/BrinkleyRSVP. For more information, contact Straub atstraubsm@sfasu.edu.

By Nathan Wicker, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University