Everything Nac

Stephen F. Austin State University students interested in making a difference in lives across the globe now have that opportunity with the student chapter of the medical outreach program Volunteers Around the World.

Students involved in the program can work with patients and doctors, distribute medications, and teach classes on health hygiene and nutrition in clinics located in Central and South America and Asia.

The student chapter was started by Mary Dang, junior biology major from Sugar Land, after a medical mission trip to Costa Rica.

“It opened my eyes to a world outside of the one I had always known and inspired me to share the same passion I have for health care with as many students as possible,” Dang said. “Not only do I want to travel abroad on these medical outreach trips to help provide the essential health care that is lacking within these developing nations, but I also want to spread awareness throughout my own local community.”

The chapter is planning a trip to Vietnam for the end of 2018 and is involved in local outreach, volunteering at The Brown Family Health Center and Lexington Place Nursing and Rehabilitation, and in other community-service projects around Nacogdoches.

“The VAW is a great chance for students to travel and learn hands-on medical experience,” said Dr. Brian Barngrover, faculty advisor for the chapter and assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. “This is a unique opportunity for students regardless of major.”

The program is open to all majors. For more information, email vawsfasu@gmail.org, or visit @vawsfasu on Twitter or Instagram.

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

Stephen F. Austin State University’s Office of Research and Graduate Studies has announced the recipients of its annual Research and Creative Activity and Research Pilot Study grants.

ORGS and Academic Affairs conduct a university-wide call for proposals, and the deadline for submissions is typically the end of October. The University Research Council conducts a blind peer review of all applications. Grant awardees are notified early in the spring semester and funded through the remainder of the fiscal year.

Dr. Steve Bullard, provost and vice president for academic affairs, approved the award of six RCA grants totaling approximately $130,000 based on the recommendations of the URC. Additionally, the URC approved two spring RPS grants. Both of these programs are awarded through an annual competition and are funded from the university’s Research Enhancement Fund, which encourages and enhances research, offers scholarly and creative opportunities for faculty members, serves as support for innovative research, and provides seed monies to attract external financial support.

The RCA grants provide substantive summer salary support to faculty members in addition to funds for collecting data, producing the creative activity, hiring students to assist, materials, supplies and other similar items. The pilot study program provides seed money to generate pilot data so faculty members may initiate new lines of research and scholarly endeavors.

2018 Research and Creative Activity Grants

Dr. John Brannon Gary – Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Sciences and Mathematics

Bioinspired D Catalysis: Using Nature as an Inspiration for Developing New Chemistry

Gary’s research seeks to develop new chemical models based on natural enzymes rather than the more expensive metals used in current practices to produce many commodity chemicals. These new systems could potentially impact areas such as alternative energy and the development of new drugs. Gary hopes to use this preliminary data to garner external funding in the future to continue to research using other types of experiments, such as water oxidation.

Dr. Xiaozhen (Jenny) Han – Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Sciences and Mathematics

The Preparation of Multi-Target Anticancer Prodrugs: Ru(II) (Arene) Complexes with Selenium-Containing Flavonols

Han seeks to develop water-soluble, multi-target anticancer drug agents by combining certain flavonols with metal fragments. The multi-target anticancer drugs are important with diseases as complex as cancer. The use of certain metal ions that possess a lower toxicity could help reduce side effects of cancer treatments.

Candace Hicks – School of Art, College of Fine Arts

Many Mini Murder Scenes

Hicks’ project will expand on the standard theatrical diorama display to incorporate audience participation elements in her crime scene dioramas based on fictional stories. The result will be a public exhibition, including a guidebook that allows the viewer to unravel the clues in the crime scene — not to solve the crime, but to delve into the cultural significance of the mystery.

Dr. Sheryll Jerez – Division of Environmental Science, Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture

Comparison of Benzene and Other Volatile Compounds in Ambient Air near the Eagle Ford Shale Area

Jerez will develop standard operating procedures for certain analyses performed with the new gas chromatography/flame ionization detector system. In addition, she will research the air quality impacts on people in rural East Texas from fracking sites. The standard operating procedures will be invaluable as Jerez and other faculty members seek to expand their research capacities.

Dr. Christopher Schalk – Department of Forestry and Spatial Science, Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture

Examining terrestrial food-web structure in managed and unmanaged forests in East Texas

Schalk will concentrate on forest management practices and how they impact food webs (consumer-resource relationships). Such research data will help land managers make more informed decisions concerning forestry practices in addition to providing seed data for Schalk to be competitive in external funding.

Dr. Jacob Turner – Department of Mathematics and Statistics, College of Sciences and Mathematics

Robustness to model selection in longitudinal gene expression studies

Turner will research high throughput gene expression data to develop new theoretical and methodological approaches to improve current standards of practice, which will be useful to the bioinformatics and biostatistics research communities.

Research Pilot Study

Dr. Luis Aguerrevere – Department of Human Services, James I. Perkins College of Education

Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Facial and Emotional Regulation in Individuals with Autism: A Pilot Study

Dr. Hector Ochoa – Department of Physics, Engineering and Astronomy, College of Sciences and Mathematics

Establishing a Methodology to Fabricate and Test Super Coiled Polymer Actuators using Traditional and Conductive Polymers

The Rockin’ Axes at Stephen F. Austin State University will continue performing music of “The ’90s and the New Millennium” when the student group performs at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 3, in Cole Concert Hall in the Wright Music Building on the SFA campus.

Directed by Andrew Sperandeo, instructor in the School of Music’s Sound Recording Technology program, the Rockin’ Axes’ study theme and program from last semester – “The ’90s and the New Millennium” – continues into the spring. Since 2014, Sperandeo’s students have examined the history of rock from the 1950s to the current decade.

“As always, I try to mix up the set list with many subgenres within the category of rock/pop,” said Sperandeo, who also teaches guitar. “I want to keep it interesting for students and expose them to styles they may not be too familiar with in order to improve their overall musicianship and, potentially, give them more opportunities in their future careers within the music industry.”

Among the selections to be performed is Bruno Mars’ “Chunky.” “It is the epitome of modern pop, and it’s a fun groove tune most people can enjoy,” Sperandeo said.

The Rockin’ Axes will perform “Hysteria” by the English rock band Muse.

“Muse is a very talented, original hard rock band that all the students really enjoy listening to,” Sperandeo said.

The program will also include a performance of “A Thousand Years,” which Sperandeo describes as “a beautifully written tune” by singer-songwriter Christina Perri.

“As a professional musician, I have played this one in many settings since it was released several years ago,” he said. “I chose to arrange this song for the group because it is one I still enjoy listening to all these years later.”

The Rockin’ Axes will also perform a difficult tune by the American progressive metal band Dream Theater, as well as tunes by Sade, Incubus, Stone Temple Pilots and Tori Amos.

Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.

The Wind Symphony at Stephen F. Austin State University will present “Red Sky,” a concert featuring the music of J. Clifton Williams, Anthony Barfield and Steven Reineke, at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 30, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus.

Dr. Deb Scott, professor of trombone in the SFA School of Music, will perform on Barfield’s composition for trombone and band, “Red Sky.”

“‘Red Sky’ is, in the composer’s words ‘a mere representation of The Big Bang Theory,'” said Dr. David Campo, associate director of bands at SFA and director of the Wind Symphony.

“As history tells us, the Big Bang is a theory that explains how the universe expanded from one single point. This work focuses on space, matter and energy as a whole,” according to the composer’s website at abarfield.wixsite.com/barfieldanthony.

After Barfield moved to New York City from his native Mississippi to pursue trombone performance, he quickly emerged as a composer. Recognized for his lyrical writing style, Barfield’s compositions have been performed throughout the United States and Europe. Barfield has received commissions from trombonists including Joseph Alessi, principal trombonist of the New York Philharmonic, and Steven Lange, second trombonist of the Boston Symphony, as well as for the Manhattan School of Music Brass Orchestra and other ensembles.

Scott enjoys an active schedule as clinician and performer in both classical and jazz styles. Her solo CD, “Playing Favorites,” was released in 2017. She has been called “one of the premier soloists for her instrument” by Cinemusical.

The Wind Symphony will open the concert with Williams’ march “The Hermitage,” written on commission for the Future Music Leaders of America organization in 1975. Originally titled “March FMLA,” the march was composed one year before the composer’s death, Campo said.

“Williams was fond of the concert march, composing many memorable pieces in this form, including ‘The Sinfonians,’ ‘Strategic Air Command’ and ‘March Lamar,'” Campo said. “This march exhibits Williams’ trademark march style utilizing bitonality, obligato flute lines and fanfare trumpet flourishes.”

Closing the concert is Reineke’s “Symphony No. 1 – New Day Rising.” The work is in four movements, each describing an aspect of the April 18, 1906, earthquake in San Francisco, which, along with the subsequent fire, leveled the city, costing millions of dollars and thousands of lives.

Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.

The bands at Stephen F. Austin State University will present the annual Concert in the Park Sunday, April 29, in the wooded area along Vista Drive and in front of the Wright Music Building on the SFA campus. The concert begins at 2 p.m. and is free to the public.

All four SFA concert bands will perform. Opening the concert will be University Band, under the direction of David Campo, associate director of bands, and graduate assistant Brandon Beavers.

The Symphonic Band, under the direction of Tamey Anglley, assistant director of bands at SFA, will follow with a performance of “Vesuvius” by Frank Ticheli. Graduate student Gary Jones will conduct “Chant and Jubilo” by W. Francis McBeth.

The Wind Symphony, also directed by Campo, will perform the Second Suite in F by Gustav Holst.

The Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Fred J. Allen, director of bands, will close the concert and will perform four pieces, including the exciting overture “Folk Festival” by the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich. The band will also perform the official march of the United States of America, “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” by John Philip Sousa.

A meeting of the Lumberjack Band Alumni Association will be held in the Band Hall following the concert.

Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma, honorary band service fraternity and sorority, will sell hamburger plates beginning at 1 p.m. Plates are $5 each and will include a burger, chips and beverage.

For more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.