Everything Nac

The Nacogdoches branch of the American Association of University Women hosted the 26th annual Expanding Your Horizons career awareness conference Feb. 29 at Stephen F. Austin State University.

The 400 girls in sixth to eighth grades who attended the conference signed up for this opportunity and traveled from as far away as Shreveport, Louisiana, to learn about careers ranging from agriculture, food and natural resources to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

More than 40 volunteer presenters helped students visualize their future careers.

Dr. Audrey Young, a public educator and politician who presented a session on the election process, said girls need extra support at this age.

“An event like this reassures girls that it’s OK to not know exactly what they want to do,” Young said. “This event presents strong, outstanding, professional women who set an excellent example of what to become.”

Event organizers already are planning for next year’s conference scheduled for Feb. 27. For more information on presenting or volunteering at this event, contact Dr. Susan Reily, SFA assistant professor of elementary education, at reilys@sfasu.edu.

By Jo Gilmore, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

The Stephen F. Austin State University Rusche College of Business recently secured a corporate partnership with the East Texas branch of Fastenal, a global supply chain distributor with locations in over 25 countries.

The partnership is part of the College of Business’ growth initiatives where companies have the opportunity to support the college while collaborating on mutually beneficial programs. Details of the partnership include signage, career and internship prospects with students, corporate branding, class visits and more. Dr. Timothy Bisping, dean of the College of Business, said the role of the partnership is important in expanding job and internship possibilities for students, while providing Fastenal exclusive access to branding and recruiting opportunities.

“Joining forces with Fastenal allows us to provide another avenue by which students can develop professionally and explore career opportunities,” Bisping said. “Our goal is to adequately prepare them for life outside the academic arena. Corporate partnerships, like the one we have with Fastenal, allow us to continue to provide a real-world business environment and expand programs and opportunities for our college as a whole.”

Cooper Terry, district manager of the Fastenal East Texas branch, agrees that the partnership will allow for more possibilities for both the college and the corporation.

“We have worked with the Rusche College of Business for over 20 years and we are excited to take the next step in building our relationship for the future,” Terry said. “We support the programs and innovative learning within the college and we are pleased to become official partners.”

Fastenal joins Hajoca and Khol’s on the list of College of Business corporate partners. For more information, contact Bisping at (936) 468-3101 or bispingto@sfasu.edu.

By Richard Massey, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

The 29th annual Nacogdoches County’s Opportunity for a Better Learning Experience banquet will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, March 30, in the Grand Ballroom of the Baker Pattillo Student Center at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Nearly 200 students were invited to attend this year’s banquet, which will honor Nacogdoches County high school seniors who chose a more rigorous recommended or distinguished program of study in their high school courses and completed a service project.

“The members of the Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce have long known that their investment in the youth of this county reaps benefits for the city and county,” said Dr. Judy A. Abbott, chair of the education committee at the Chamber of Commerce and dean of the James I. Perkins College of Education at SFA. “Recognizing seniors from across the county communicates to the students and to their family members that this community invests in its youth.”

Students will receive a custom NOBLE Scholar medallion to wear at graduation, as well as a certificate honoring their achievement. NIBCO has generously sponsored the medallions again this year.

Banquet silver-level sponsors include Nacogdoches Independent School District, Nacogdoches Police Department and Two Fifteen Consulting. Banquet bronze-level sponsors include Austin Bank, Texas N.A. – Nacogdoches, BancorpSouth, BXS Insurance, Central Heights ISD, Chireno ISD, Commercial Bank of Texas N.A., Cushing ISD, Douglass ISD, Garrison ISD, Brent and Lorelai Gotcher, Lee Container Corporation, Martinsville ISD, Nacogdoches Area United Way, Regents Academy, Ruckel Insurance and Financial Group, and Woden ISD.

“These Chamber of Commerce members and school districts have gone beyond their chamber membership fees to support the banquet and recognition of seniors every year,” said Barbara Holl, operations vice president for the Chamber of Commerce. “We appreciate their help in rewarding the county’s hardworking scholars.”

A parents reception will be held in the Twilight Ballroom starting at 6 p.m. Light hors d’oeuvres will be served. Representatives from Workforce Solutions, as well as SFA’s ROTC program and other SFA groups, will be available to discuss post-high-school career opportunities and ways to help ensure student success. Parents will then join the students at 6:45 p.m. for the medallion presentation and a keynote address by Dr. Scott Gordon, SFA president.

Nacogdoches County NOBLE Scholars are eligible to apply for one of 25 $1,000 scholarships to SFA provided by Citizens 1st Bank, The Daily Sentinel and Walls Foundation. Other scholarship sponsors include Etech; Fairchild, Price, Haley & Smith; Laird Funeral Home; and SERVPRO of Lufkin/South Nacogdoches County. Students can obtain scholarship applications from their high school counselors, at the banquet or from nacogdoches.org/chamber/n-o-b-l-e-scholars.

NOBLE is a program of the Chamber of Commerce education committee, as well as the local business community. The chamber’s education committee also sponsors Great Expectations, a program that brings local business leaders to county schools to encourage students to take advanced courses, which will better prepare them for the workplace and life. The education committee includes school counselors and administrators, SFA faculty and staff members, and members of the Chamber of Commerce.

For more information about the banquet, contact Holl at (936) 560-5533 or chamber@nactx.com.

Stephen F. Austin State University is one of only two Texas universities included in Study.com’s list of 50 Best Hospitality and Tourism Schools for 2020.

The rankings are based on information from the U.S. Department of Education, which includes tuition costs, graduation rates, acceptance rates and student-to-faculty ratios. On-site facilities for hands-on learning and internship and networking opportunities also were considered.

“This ranking reflects how our faculty and staff strive to ensure student success through transformative experiences,” said Dr. Chay Runnels, professor and director of the hospitality administration program in SFA’s School of Human Sciences.

The undergraduate degree includes courses on food science, travel and tourism, beverage management, purchasing and facility planning. It also requires a 300-hour internship.

SFA hospitality administration students gain experience by running a reservations-only Culinary Café featuring menu themes like Cajun, Mediterranean and fusion. In addition, SFA’s student-run mobile food lab, the Lumberjack Express, just celebrated its first anniversary of service.

“There are only a few food trucks nationally that are utilized as an academic laboratory,” said Dr. Lynda Martin, director of the School of Human Sciences, which is part of the James I. Perkins College of Education at SFA. “It has been so exciting watching the students make the Lumberjack Express their own and seeing how the campus community has responded to this new learning experience.”

For more information on SFA’s hospitality administration program, email Dr. Mary Olle, associate professor in the School of Human Sciences, at ollemary@sfasu.edu. For more information on Study.com’s rankings, visit study.com/resources/hospitality-schools.

By Jo Gilmore, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

The Stone Fort Museum on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University will serve as the venue for a St. Patrick’s Day concert by local band El Camino Real de Nacogdoches from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 14.

“Live performances help us connect to our musical heritage in the same way that hands-on activities help learners connect to their studies in new ways,” said Carolyn Spears, curator of the Stone Fort Museum.

The St. Patrick’s Day musical celebration will showcase Celtic, bluegrass, traditional country, Appalachian, folk and other music genres.

According to Spears, Irish settlers brought their traditions to Nacogdoches in the 19th century, with more than 3,000 Irish listed on the 1860 census.

“This concert will allow us to enjoy traditional music from Ireland, as well as music that celebrates the rich history of Texas,” Spears said.

According to band members Paul Driver, Jon Hall, Charlie Jones, Mark McLain, Robbie Roach, Craig and Michelle Smith, and Jesse Tingle, the band is East Texas’ answer to The Old Crow Medicine Show, an Americana string band based in Nashville, playing old-time acoustic music using the fiddle, guitars, mandolin, banjos and percussion.

El Camino Real de Nacogdoches formed in 2002. The band has played at a variety of art, theatrical and musical events associated with SFA. It also has been featured during Nacogdoches’ annual Blueberry Festival, Old-Time Christmases at Millard’s Crossing and The Pine Knot Music Co-op. In 2017, the band released it first CD, “Camino Real: The Nacogdoches Sessions.”

The concert is free and open to the public. The band will perform on the north lawn of the museum, weather permitting. Light refreshments will be served and include traditional Irish treats.

For more information, contact Spears at cspears@sfasu.edu or (936) 468-2408.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s speech-language pathology graduate program was named one of the 25 Best Master’s in Speech Pathology Schools 2020 by GradReports.com.

The rankings were based on tuition, median salaries and median debt as reported by the U.S. Department of Education for students who completed a degree in the indicated field of study.

SFA faculty and staff work hard to ensure student success, said Dr. Lydia Richardson, assistant professor and director of SFA’s speech-language pathology program.

“This ranking reflects our collective mission to reduce the debt of our students and ensure meaningful and sufficiently compensated employment of our graduates,” Richardson said.

SFA’s speech-language pathology master’s program is part of the Department of Human Services and Educational Leadership in the James I. Perkins College of Education. It is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology. In addition, all faculty members are certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and are licensed speech-language pathologists and audiologists in Texas.

The program is launching a pilot distance education class this summer for speech-language pathology assistants who want to return to school and earn a Master of Science in speech-language pathology while continuing to work.

“This will provide those who would not usually return to a master’s program due to financial obligations to their family a chance to continue their education,” Richardson said. “Our goal is to have an enrollment of 25 in the distance education cohort for the 2021-2022 academic year.”

Dr. Robbie Steward, chair of the Department of Human Services and Educational Leadership, is proud of both the program’s faculty members and students.

“Because of their ever-increasing international visibility as scholars and their strong local reputation as consummate practitioners and clinical supervisors, I am honored to be affiliated with this group of faculty members and academically competitive students,” Steward said. “Dr. Richardson’s stated mission should serve as a model for all.”

The master’s degree plan requires two years of academic and clinical preparation, typically beginning the summer before the student’s first fall semester and continuing for two full years with graduation in May. Around 150 people apply to the graduate program each year, and 25 are accepted.

The employment outlook for speech-language pathologists continues to be strong. According to 2019 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the field of speech-language pathology is projected to increase by 18% between 2016 and 2026. Speech-language pathology majors can choose from positions in schools, hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, rehabilitation settings and private practices with an annual starting salary of $48,000 to $92,000 after being awarded a Master of Science.

For more information on SFA’s speech-language pathology graduate program, email Richardson at speechpath@sfasu.edu.

By Jo Gilmore, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. March 19 in the Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center.

Rick J. Lewandowski, director of the Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center in Orange, will present “Plant Treasures in the Piney Woods of the Gulf South.”

Lewandowski has been director of the center since 2013. Previously, he was director of Mt. Cuba Center in Delaware for 13 years where he led its transition from private estate to nonprofit. He also was curator of the living collections and director of horticulture with the Morris Arboretum in Philadelphia where he served for 16 years.

Lewandowski is a seasoned horticulturist, garden designer, plant explorer and environmentalist with over 35 years of experience. He is passionate about native plants, environmentally responsible gardening and connecting people with the natural world. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University and master’s degree from the University of Maryland.

The Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series is held the second Thursday of each month and includes a rare plant raffle after the program. The lecture is free and open to the public, but donations to the Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series fund are always appreciated.

Parking is available at the PNPC and Raguet Elementary School, located at 2428 Raguet St.

For more information, call (936) 468-4129, or email sfagardens@sfasu.edu.