Everything Nac

Master’s Programs Guide, a website dedicated to helping students find the best graduate degree, recently ranked Stephen F. Austin State University among its 50 best schools in the nation for its online master’s degree in special education.

Site editors, who ranked SFA No. 21, evaluated institutions based on publicly available resources about student accommodation, accreditation, learning outcomes and affordability. Dr. Paige Mask, graduate advisor for SFA’s master’s in special education program, said this ranking is an honor.

“This recognition provides meaningful validation that program instructors are successfully working to provide a quality program that meets the needs of its professional students,” Mask said.

At SFA, there are four options for students seeking a Master of Education or certification in special education online. Students can select either a non-teacher certification (for those who are already teacher certified) or an initial teacher certification. Both options prepare students for disability awareness, instructional strategies, formal and informal assessment, and law. The initial teacher certification also qualifies individuals to teach special education in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade in Texas public or private schools.

Additionally, students can choose to pursue an education diagnostician certification that offers two tracks — one for those who have a master’s degree and one for those who do not.

“Offering our graduate program online has increased the program’s student diversity, and in turn, it has enriched the experiences of all students and program instructors,” Mask said.

Graduate students are provided with real-world experiences in utilizing publisher scoring and individualized education program-management systems. SFA students can engage in hands-on learning experiences through a web-hosted service, which includes online meetings, desktop sharing and video conferencing software that enables the user to meet with others via the internet.

“Our program is unique due to the diverse teaching experiences and expertise of the program instructors,” Mask said. “Also, in continuing our commitment to quality, the program instructors spend a significant amount of time online meeting with students individually and in groups to practice applying concepts and skills using discussions and software programs utilized in the field of special education and assessment.”

For more information about the program, visit sfasu.edu/humanservices/124.asp.

By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Preston Turnage and Madeline Reina will serve as SFA’s 2017 Homecoming Children of the Court.[/caption]Preston Turnage, of Nacogdoches, and Madeline Reina, of Whitehouse, will serve as children of the court during Stephen F. Austin State University’s Homecoming celebrations Oct. 20 and 21.

Preston Aaron Turnage is the 11-year-old son of Craig, a 2000 and 2005 SFA graduate, and Tonya, a 1999 SFA alumna. The Turnages are lifetime members of the Alumni Association.

Preston is in the sixth grade at Central Heights Middle School and plays soccer for the Blue Diamonds. He enjoys playing on his iPad and outdoor sports. Preston is a regular at SFA athletic events where he strives to make an appearance on the dance cam at each game. During a January 2017 basketball game, Preston showcased his dancing skills and won the evening’s dance competition. He loves SFA and hopes to follow the family tradition of becoming a Lumberjack in 2024. Preston has an older brother, Brandon, who is a freshman at Central Heights High School. Brandon served as the 2013 SFA Homecoming crown bearer.

Madeline Carys Reina is the 9-year-old daughter of Laura Reina and Jason and Kinnie Reina. Laura, a 2005 graduate of SFA and former Homecoming queen nominee, resides in Tyler. Jason is a 2003 and 2017 SFA alumnus, and Kinnie graduated in 1999. They reside in Nacogdoches.

Madeline’s grandparents are Bob and Gail Hammontree of Schulenburg and Tommy and Terri Grogan of Alto. Madeline recently became a big sister when Jason and Kinnie welcomed Evan Michael Reina in April. Madeline is a fourth grader at Stanton-Smith Elementary School in Whitehouse where her favorite subjects are reading, music and science. She also attends Tyler Music Academy.

In her free time, she enjoys singing, reading, playing Minecraft and Roblox with her friends, and doting on her dog, Buster. Madeline aspires to — in no particular order — be the first female president of the United States, a veterinarian and host her own YouTube channel when she grows up.

Preston and Madeline will ride in the Homecoming parade and participate in the crowning of the SFA Homecoming queen during halftime of the SFA versus Houston Baptist University football game, which begins at 3 p.m. Oct. 20 at Homer Bryce Stadium on the SFA campus.

The Choral Union and Women’s Choir at Stephen F. Austin State University will present the program “Dancing and Singing” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

The concert theme was chosen because of the many emotions and musical styles that dancing and singing can invoke, according to Dr. Tod Fish, assistant professor in the SFA School of Music and associate director of choral activities at SFA.

“This theme also led to program selections that give us the opportunity to collaborate with School of Music faculty and campus and community organizations,” Fish said.

The Lufkin High School mixed choir, the Kantori, directed by SFA alumna Laura Hoelewyn, will open the concert. The Kantori will join the Choral Union to perform two pieces that are part of the 2017-18 All-State Choir audition process: “To Thee, Cherubim and Seraphim,” by G. F. Handel, and “I Am Loved” by Matthew Christopher. Hoelewyn will conduct the Handel piece.

“This is the first time we have invited a local choral program to perform on one of our concerts,” Fish said. “We are thrilled to have them with us.”

SFA’s Topics in World Dance class, led by instructor and choreographer Sarah Sanchez, will also perform to Ron Nelson’s composition on a text by Thomas E. Ahlburn, “Early May.”

“This text is a celebration of nature and the enjoyment of life in nature,” Fish said. “Professor Sanchez has choreographed a vibrant dance that encourages us to, ‘Join hands and dance across these slipping floors once more.’ We are excited to be collaborating with them.”

The SFA Women’s Choir will sing a wide variety of music stemming from the rousing setting of Stephen Paulus’ “I Cannot Dance, O Lord” (which discusses the Lord leading people to love, knowledge and fulfilled life through dancing and singing). The choir will perform Eric Whitacre’s “Seal Lullaby,” originally a solo song that was written for a movie concept (that never opened in theaters because DreamWorks chose “Kung Fu Panda”), and Zoltan Kodally’s traditional Hungarian folk song, “Dancing – Song,” Fish explained.

In addition, the SFA Choral Union will perform two compositions by contemporary composers, including “Flight Song,” by Norwegian composer Kim André Arnesen; and Blake Henson’s simple, yet poignant musical arrangement of Robert Herrick’s text “My Flight for Heaven.”

The program will showcase the talents of the School of Music’s new coordinator of music education, Dr. Kristin Lyman, along with student members of the percussion studio performing on the Nelson piece. Lyman will accompany the choir on the marimba.

Two of SFA’s choral conducting graduate students will also have roles in the concert. Emily Bulling of Katy will conduct “Zigeunerleben” by Robert Schumann, as performed by the Choral Union. Her colleague, Evelyn Shaffer of Barbers Hill, will conduct “Herbstlied,” also by Schumann, as performed by the Women’s Choir.

“We are proud of these two young conductors and look forward to them sharing their talents with our community,” Fish said.

Barry Martin, percussion major, will also join the Women’s Choir to accompany them on Moses Hogan’s “Ride on King Jesus.” Martin performed with the women’s choir two years ago, “and we are eager to welcome him back,” Fish added. “It is going to be an exciting evening of music making!”

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.

Bank of America’s Senior Vice President Kelley B. Hall provided essential personal branding information to Stephen F. Austin State University students during a recent Evening with Executives event hosted by the Rusche College of Business.

Hall’s discussion titled “Building Your Brand” included key information on how individuals can build and maintain a personal brand. During his presentation, Hall emphasized the relationship between one’s brand and career success while advising students on key steps they can take today to help brand themselves professionally.

“The students in SFA’s Rusche College of Business clearly demonstrated their commitment to achieving academic success during this year’s Evening with Executives event,” Hall said. “Due to their active engagement and self-awareness, the students are now better prepared to create a personal brand they can be proud of as they move closer to their chosen career fields.”

Hall also participated in a question-and-answer session. Dr. Tim Bisping, dean of the Rusche College of Business, said Hall’s presentation was aligned with the college’s student-centered mission.

“As young professionals seek to launch successful careers and become leaders in their fields, effective personal brand management is a must,” Bisping said. “We are so appreciative of Mr. Hall’s willingness to assist our students in this regard.”

Students enrolled in the college’s Student Success Passport Program received credit for attending the event.

By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Stephen F. Austin State University theatre students had returned only a few weeks from the School of Theatre’s highly successful biennial trip to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Edinburgh, Scotland, when the planning for the 2019 trip was underway.

Begun in 1947, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the largest international theatre arts festival in the world. During festival season, which is three weeks in August, the International Festival, the Festival Fringe, jazz festival, art festival and book festival all take place in Edinburgh. The event has become a much-anticipated learning opportunity for SFA theatre students to tour a show on the international stage, according to SFA Professor of Theatre Angela Bacarisse,

“The trip is a bit of a whirl-wind experience,” Bacarisse said. “The students have technical rehearsals and performances on their first day in Edinburgh, and the remaining performances are spread out over the first week of the trip.

“They have opportunities to see productions by the other American universities participating in the Festival as well as the plethora of international productions,” she added. “In the space of three weeks, there are more than 30,000 separate performances. Deciding what to see can be daunting.”

The trip provides excellent networking for the students and a unique opportunity to spread the word about SFA to people from around the world, said Dr. Slade Billew, assistant professor of acting and movement in the School of Theatre and director of the play the students presented at the festival, “Closed For Repairs,” written by former SFA student Bobby Britton of Angleton.

“Our students actively engaged with new people that they met,” Billew said. “Many of the people they met throughout the trip came to see our show. I think seeing a range of international performances broadened their ideas of what theatre can be. And, I think performing in a non-traditional venue and for non-American audiences challenged their abilities as performers in ways that helped them grow.”

As an added bonus this year, the SFA School of Theatre was the first festival collegiate group to be asked to perform at a special event at the Scottish Arts Club. The trip also allowed the students to explore Edinburgh, including climbing Arthur’s Seat and attending the Military Tattoo.

“The students had a wonderful time and were consummate professionals when it came to work,” Billew said.

The School of Theatre sent its first student entourage to the Scotland festival in 2015 and then again this past summer. Both trips were equally successful, said Bacarisse, who has begun planning for the next Festival Fringe in two years.

“I already have collaborators and a show in mind,” she said.

The total cost per student is approximately $5,000, which includes airfare and room and board. Donations are accepted to help fund the trip, and various fundraisers will be conducted to help defray costs.

“We are so grateful for everyone who supports the arts and our students,” Bacarisse said. “Allowing them the opportunity to tour a show, perform abroad and learn more about our global community is a great gift.”

Tax-exempt donations for the trip can be made at sfasu.edu/giving by clicking on the “give online” tab and writing “Scotland trip” for special instructions.

The annual Stephen F. Austin State University Homecoming celebration begins Friday, Oct. 20, and runs through Sunday, Oct. 22. This year’s theme is “Unmasque Your Spirit.”

The weekend festivities start at 11 a.m. Friday with the 44th annual SFA Alumni Golf Tournament at the Piney Woods Country Club. The individual entry fee is $150 and includes tournament play, golf cart, refreshments, box lunch and post-tournament hors d’oeuvres. Team entries also are available. This is a four-player scramble.

The annual Homecoming online auction begins Thursday, Oct. 12, and runs through Sunday, Oct. 22. Visit www.biddingforgood.com/sfahomecoming to view and bid on your favorite items. Some items up for bids include a purple Michael Kors watch, custom axe handle, Alumni Drive naming opportunity, purple Sig Sauer pistol, destination getaways and travel packages, artwork, jewelry, unique SFA items, sports tickets, autographed sports memorabilia and more.

Friday evening’s Homecoming festivities begin with a Back In Nac Social starting at 4 p.m. at the Nine Flags Bar in The Fredonia Hotel. Jack Madness will kick-off festivities in the Johnson Coliseum on campus at 7 p.m. with a first look at SFA’s men’s and women’s basketball teams. The teams will host a small scrimmage, dunk contest and give away lots of prizes. The Torchlight Parade follows at 8:30 p.m. beginning at the SFA Ag Pond and concludes at the intramural fields where the bonfire, pep rally, fireworks and a special guest concert will be held. SFA’s Alumni Association staff members will distribute free 3-D fireworks glasses, sponsored by Nacogdoches Eye Associates, from the alumni tent.

The Homecoming Jack Track shuttle bus is free for Lumberjacks and guests to travel between the coliseum, bonfire and The Fredonia Hotel. The shuttle will run from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. between locations.

The fun continues Saturday morning with the Flap “Jack” Breakfast prepared from 8 to 10 a.m. at The Fredonia Hotel. Children can decorate their flapjacks with special toppings, receive coloring books and have their photo taken with the SFA Lumberjack and Ladyjack mascots and other members of the SFA spirit teams from 8 to 9 a.m. Flapjacks are free for those participating in the Homecoming 5K. The cost is $10 per person for those not participating in the run.

The eighth-annual Lumberjack Homecoming Certified 5K begins at 8 a.m. in downtown Nacogdoches. Pre-registration is available online at www.active.com.

The Homecoming Parade begins at 10 a.m. in downtown Nacogdoches where onlookers will line the streets to watch colorful-themed floats and pageantry, and listen to music. The Mardi Gras theme of “Unmasque Your Spirit” should bring lots of purple, yellow and green to the parade.

After the parade, the action moves to Alumni Corner (junction of Hayter and Raguet streets) beginning at noon for pregame tailgating. Admission to Alumni Corner is free for Alumni Association members, $15 for non-members, children ages 10 and under accompanied by an adult are $5, and children 5 years old and younger are free.

Alumni Corner will again feature the Suddenlink “Bundle U” Viewing Lounge, live entertainment, Mardi-Gras-themed tailgate food, games and the third annual Fall Fest where children can enjoy a bounce house, petting zoo, face stickers, Kona premium shaved ice, balloon animals and other fun festivities for free. The first 100 children to attend the Fall Fest will receive a “Future SFA Alumni” T-shirt. The Fall Fest is sponsored by Nacogdoches Pediatric Dentistry.

At 1 p.m. hundreds of yellow rubber ducks will race for more than $1,750 in prizes at the Ag Pond during the annual Duck Dash. Proceeds from the Duck Dash benefit SFA Alumni Association programs and scholarships. Ducks may be sponsored for $5 each or six ducks for $25. The deadline for sponsoring ducks is Friday, Oct. 20.

The highlight of Homecoming weekend is set to begin at 3 p.m. at Homer Bryce Stadium when the SFA Lumberjacks take on the Huskies of Houston Baptist University. Tickets start at $12 and are available by calling (936) 468-JACK, online at www.sfajacks.com or at the gate on game day.

End your evening at Fredonia Fest at the all-new Fredonia Brewery downtown. Live entertainment, food trucks serving German food and a special Fredoniafest beer will be featured from 2 to 10 p.m.

The Homecoming weekend continues Sunday with Second Story Tours from 1 to 4 p.m. Enjoy a self-guided tour through some of the beautiful downtown lofts and buildings while experiencing the breathtaking architecture and history downtown has to offer. Tickets are $25 each and are available at The Fredonia Hotel and the Charles Bright Visitor’s Center downtown. Many downtown stores will be open to shop for one-of-a-kind finds from the oldest town in Texas.

Thank you to the following SFA Alumni Homecoming event sponsors:

Liberty Mutual, The Fredonia Hotel, Barnes & Noble College Bookstore, University Rental, Suddenlink, First Bank & Trust East Texas, XETX Business Solutions, Lettermen’s Association, Nacogdoches Pediatric Dentistry, Simpson Real Estate, Olivia King-Realtor and Nacogdoches Eye Associates.

For more information about Homecoming events, contact the SFA Alumni Association at (936) 468-3407, or visit www.sfaalumni.com/events. You also can visit the Tracie D. Pearman Alumni Center on the SFA campus Monday through Friday.

Two Stephen F. Austin State University undergraduate students are conducting new research on latent fingerprinting techniques to help determine how different chemical processes reveal fingerprints.

Alaina Spurr, a senior biochemistry major from The Colony, is focusing on 1,8-Diazaflouren-9-one, a chemical used to locate fingerprints on porous surfaces by making them glow when lit by a blue-green light, while Russell Stager, a senior chemistry major from McKinney, is studying 1,2-Indanedione, a chemical applied to porous items of evidence that reacts with amino acids in fingerprint residue and produces a fluorescent impression when the reaction is complete.

Both students are attempting to determine why each chemical reacts with Serine, the most abundant amino acid in perspiration.

In forensics, latent fingerprints are prints left on a porous surface at the scene of a crime that may not be immediately visible to the naked eye. To expose them, technicians use a variety of methods, including1,8-Diazaflouren-9-one, the most popular, while 1,2-Indanedione, is second in popularity. The latent prints comprise perspiration and oils.

“What I’m trying to figure out is how 1,8-Diazaflouren-9-one reacts to Serine,” Spurr said. “We already know it works, but we don’t know how they react to one another.”

Research labs have used fingerprinting techniques, like the ones Spurr and Stager are studying, to secure forensic evidence for decades. Spurr explained that understanding how Serine reacts with the latent-fingerprinting chemicals is key to more efficient fingerprinting data and could help improve latent fingerprinting’s accuracy and speed.

Spurr and Stager work in a dry lab, meaning they do not handle chemicals. Instead, they use computational chemistry, which uses computer simulations to help solve chemical problems, to complete their research.

To conduct their research, Spurr and Stager took their molecules of interest and input them into the computer. From there, the computer performs mathematical calculations on the molecules, and Spurr and Stager must then determine if the output makes chemical sense. The value and structure given may result in an energy that is too high or unrealistic, which would send them back to the drawing board. This process is repeated until logical results are determined.

Computational chemistry requires the equations to be inputted, and then the computer completes the math. Some equations can take up to five hours for the computer to solve, which gives Spurr and Stager time to work on other class assignments.

“This research is not only useful for the future of fingerprinting, but also could have benefits for other research fields,” Spurr said. “The research could prove useful to any area of chemistry.”

Spurr and Stager have looked to Dr. Brian Barngrover, SFA assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, for guidance throughout their research. Barngrover initiated the project, but has since stepped back to allow Spurr and Stager to continue the majority of the work.

“I’ve read articles about the two most popular latent-fingerprinting methods,” Barngrover said. “Many of these articles don’t address why it works and don’t seem dedicated to finding out. I wanted to see if Alaina and Russell could do the research and come to a conclusion.”

Every SFA biochemistry and chemistry student is required to complete research that will be presented as his or her senior capstone project and at a conference. Spurr and Stager will present their research during the American Chemistry Society’s Southwestern regional meeting Oct. 29 in Lubbock.

Barngrover said it’s important for students to use the knowledge they learn in the classroom and apply it to theories and techniques in the lab one-on-one with professors. “These interactions lead to students being more involved in the classroom,” Barngrover said.

Spurr serves as the Driving Jacks president and plans to work toward a master’s and doctoral degree in forensic science. Stager said he hopes to some day teach science in high school.

“Conducting this research will no doubt benefit both of these students as they graduate and enter their professions,” Barngrover said. “There’s no substitute for spending time in a laboratory setting and witnessing firsthand how to quantify your results. That’s one area of many where SFA excels.”

By Emily Brown, marketing communications specialist for Stephen F. Austin State University.