Everything Nac

More than 50 Stephen F. Austin State University undergraduate and graduate students, and faculty members in the psychology department presented a total of 44 research posters and eight research discussions during the Southwestern Psychological Association’s annual conference held March 31 through April 1 in San Antonio.

The presentations were the result of more than 60 research projects completed in the department’s social, developmental, cognitive, clinical and forensic psychology laboratories, and behavioral/cognitive neuroscience research laboratories.

During the past year, approximately 2,000 participants volunteered to take part in the Department of Psychology’s research programs, which generated about 6,000 research credit hours.

“This impressive research productivity is due to the psychology department’s faculty members’ dedication as researchers. They spend countless hours mentoring hardworking and talented students,” said Dr. Scott Hutchens, chair of and professor in the psychology department. “We would not be able to maintain such a prolific department research program without our dedicated laboratory space and state-of-the-art psychophysiological measuring and eye-tracking equipment.”

This year’s conference was titled “Fitting In Standing Out: The Psychology of Groups.” The conference was divided into sessions focusing on major areas of psychology, including clinical, cognitive and behavioral psychology in addition to sessions focusing on pedagogy and best practices in college-level psychology courses.

SFA’s Department of Psychology was well represented with almost every session featuring an SFA faculty member, student or collaborative research project.

“Student research is a cornerstone of our department’s best practices,” Hutchens said. “Our faculty members share their research with our students so that we foster a community around psychological research, and I’m thankful we have the facilities and expertise to allow students to explore and research the concepts that most interest them.”

For more information about SFA’s Department of Psychology, visit sfasu.edu/sfapsych.

The Stephen F. Austin State University Debate Team successfully completed its 2016-17 season by acquiring more than 30 accolades, including recognition at the International Public Debate Association’s national tournament held March 23-26 in Russellville, Arkansas.

This year marked the association’s 20th anniversary and hosted competing students from 132 U.S. colleges and universities.

The IPDA debate season features individual and team debate competitions in four divisions: novice, junior varsity, varsity and professional. At each competition, awards are presented to the top three finalists for both single and team debate with separate honors awarded for eloquence and speaking.

During the association’s culminating tournament, season-long awards also were presented to participating debate programs.

During the 2016-17 IPDA debate season, members of SFA’s 12-person debate team took home nine awards in both team and individual debate formats and 12 top-10 awards for speaking eloquence.

Graduating seniors Fernando Penate-Chavez and Michael Moreck partnered for team (duo) debate and ended their season as the second-place season-long team among 112 team combinations. Penate-Chavez also finished ninth in varsity-level among 224 competitors.

“It’s definitely been quite an experience. It’s been a great year with an amazing debate partner and friend,” said Penate-Chavez. “Mike and I have been debating since I was a freshman, and this was our best year by far.”

Additional contributions to this year’s SFA debate season included Sydney Reed, a first-year novice debater, who finished ninth among a field of 108 competitors at the tournament.

“We’re thrilled with our performance this year,” said Kimberly Squyres Wagner, lecturer in SFA’s Department of Languages, Culture and Communication and director of SFA’s Debate Team. “Of course, the end of every season feels bittersweet because we say goodbye to our graduating seniors. Fortunately for our team, we have promising young talent like Sydney, whom we hope to move into more competitive divisions. Plus, we’re always recruiting.”

The team is already preparing for the 2017-18 season. Team tryouts are held throughout the academic year. Students securing placement on the team will join the division that most suits their skills. No previous debate experience is required to tryout; however, students should demonstrate a willingness to learn.

In addition to competing, the SFA Debate Team also partners with local high school students for a mentoring program and assists with coordinating and overseeing University Interscholastic League and collegiate debate competitions.

For more information, contact Wagner at squyreska@sfasu.edu or (936) 468-1086.

Folklore is the traditional knowledge of a culture passed down through stories, customs, superstitions, folk art and music, family legends, and oral histories. The Texas Folklore Society, based on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus, will continue its tradition of celebrating these stories during its 101st annual meeting Friday through Sunday, April 21-23, at the Holiday Inn-South Broadway, located at 5701 S. Broadway Ave. in Tyler.

The event is open to the public.

“The purpose of the meeting is to share papers on the many various topics of folklore,” said Dr. Kenneth Untiedt, professor of English at SFA and the society’s secretary-editor. “We also enjoy playing music, telling tall tales, reciting cowboy poetry and having fellowship during the banquet where we’re entertained by a great band.”

The meeting will kick off with a hootenanny, or “the Hoot” as it’s dubbed by TFS members, at 8 p.m. Friday. This event will include storytelling and folk music. Participants also will be able to tour the Tyler Rose Museum and Tyler Municipal Rose Garden Friday afternoon.

Twenty papers will be presented throughout Saturday and Sunday covering a wide range of topics, including cattle drive memories, Texas freemasonry, prison music programs, Buffalo Soldiers, family reunions, acoustic music festivals and dangerous childhood games of the past, among others.

A banquet will be held Saturday evening with entertainment provided by The Purple Hulls of Kilgore playing a mix of country and western and folk music.

Originally named the Texas Folk-Lore Society before eventually dropping the hyphen, the TFS began in 1909 by way of a resolution presented during a meeting of the Texas State Teachers Association, according to the Texas State Historical Association website. Sixty-six members were enrolled that first day.

The society maintained an office and archives in Austin until the late Dr. Francis Edward Abernethy, former SFA professor of literature, became the secretary-editor in 1971. The TFS was relocated to SFA that year.

“We proudly tell everyone how much SFA supports the TFS, and I think that we also are a feather in SFA’s cap,” Untiedt said. “We’re the third-oldest academic organization in the state, and we’ve produced more folklore scholarship (in a regular full-length book series) than any other folklore organization in the country. I believe we support one another quite well.”

Today, membership totals approximately 350 worldwide.

“We’re technically a regional organization, as our mission statement says we collect, preserve and present the folklore of Texas and the Southwest,” Untiedt said. “However, we have members throughout Texas, as well as in many other states — and even a member in England.”

Registration for the annual meeting is $25. Banquet tickets are $25 for adults and $5 for children. To receive a discounted group rate, reservations need to be made with the hotel as soon as possible.

For more information, visit www.texasfolkloresociety.org, or call the main office at (936) 468-4407.

The Music Preparatory Division in the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music has announced its spring recital schedule.

Guitar students of Chance Moore will perform at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 29, in the performance hall of the Music Prep House at 3028 Raguet St.

On Saturday, May 6, violin students of Dr. Jennifer Dalmas and cello students of Dr. Evgeni Raychev will perform at 1 p.m. in the Music Recital Hall on the SFA campus.

SFA music major instructors’ students and piano students of Dr. Mario Ajero will perform at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 7, in Cole Concert Hall in the Wright Music Building on campus.

Piano students of Linda Parr will perform at 4 p.m. Sunday, May 7, in Cole Concert Hall.

The Piney Woods Youth Orchestra, directed by Raychev, will perform at 7 p.m. Monday, May 8, in Cole Concert Hall.

The SFA Young Violinists, featuring students of Brenda Josephsen, will perform at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 11, in the Music Recital Hall.

Music Prep’s senior recitals will feature Emma Terrell and Sarah Grace Alders, students of Mary Cooper and Linda Parr, performing at 6 p.m. Monday, May 15, and Trishala Roy, a student of Parr, performing at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 30. Both senior recitals will be in Cole Concert Hall.

All recitals are free and open to the public.

For a complete listing of classes and types of instruction available through the Music Preparatory Division, visit www.music.sfasu.edu/prep or contact Director Pat Barnett at (936) 468-1291.

Dr. Dana Cooper, Student Success Center executive director and associate professor of history at Stephen F. Austin State University, will be the interviewer during the 2017 Archie McDonald Speaker Series.

The speaker series event is free and scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 24, in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Grand Ballroom on the SFA campus. Cooper will interview guest speaker Dr. Douglas Brinkley, an American historian, best-selling author and CNN presidential historian.

“I was thrilled to hear that Dr. Douglas Brinkley was selected as the Archie McDonald speaker this year,” Cooper said. “To have someone on our campus with his level of publishing success on such a wide range of topics and with his reputation as a respected media source on a wealth of issues is incredibly exciting.”

Cooper is the author or editor of four manuscripts, eight scholarly articles, and seven various publications such as book reviews and reference articles. She has presented at 10 international and seven national conferences, and she has received 15 fellowships and grants.

Cooper’s latest work, “Informal Ambassadors: American Women, Transatlantic Marriages, and Anglo-American Relations 1865-1945” published in 2014, led to her interview for the documentary “Million Dollar American Princesses,” which appeared on the Smithsonian Channel.

The Archie McDonald Speaker Series was created in 2010 by SFA’s College of Liberal and Applied Arts. Dr. Brian Murphy, dean of the college, designed the event to honor and preserve the legacy of Dr. Archie McDonald as a distinguished scholar, educator and community commentator. In the tradition of McDonald’s writings and oral presentations, a prominent national figure is hosted annually at SFA to discuss contemporary cultural issues.

McDonald participated in the first three events in the speaker series, interviewing former heavyweight champion boxer and iconic businessman George Foreman, Apollo 12 astronaut and professional artist Alan Bean, and 61st U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker III. Additional guests have included former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Grammy award-winning singer, composer and actor Lyle Lovett, Olympic All-Around Gold Medal winner in gymnastics Mary Lou Retton, and legendary head football coach Gene Stallings.

SFA’s Student Government Association sponsors the speaker series, which is open to the public. Passes may be obtained at the Involvement Center on the first floor of the Baker Pattillo Student Center on the SFA campus or at the Nacogdoches Convention and Visitors Bureau, located at 200 East Main St. For more information, call (936) 468-5406.

A private reception for 100 guests will be held prior to the main event. Private reception tickets can be purchased by contacting April Smith, SFA associate director of development, at (936) 468-5406.

The Orchestra of the Pines at Stephen F. Austin State University will present the program “Bartók and Berlioz” at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 24, in Cole Concert Hall in the Wright Music Building on the SFA campus.

The title signifies the “magnitude of the two composers whose works are to be performed,” according to Gene H. Moon, director of orchestras at SFA. The program includes two “firsts” in the history of the SFA Orchestra of the Pines.

A performance of Hungarian composer Béla Bartók’s Viola Concerto will feature soloist and first-prize winner in the 2017 Schmidbauer Young Artist Competition, Yong-Ha Jung, a junior at Flower Mound High School.

“Yong-Ha endeared the audience and captured first prize in the coveted Schmidbauer Competition,” Moon said. In addition to securing a $2,000 grand prize, Yong-Ha will be the first violist in competition history to perform as guest soloist.

Yong-Ha has participated in numerous competitions, such as the Vernell Gregg Young Artists Competition (second place, junior division), Juanita Miller Concerto Competition (finalist), MTNA Competition (national finalist), Lynn Harrell Concerto competition (finalist), Dallas Music Festival (second place), and the GDYO Concerto Competition (first place). In addition, Yong-Ha placed third as a freshman and first chair as a sophomore at the TMEA All State convention. Not only is he a talented musician, but also a well-rounded student, ranking among the top 10 percent of his class at Flower Mound High School.

Capping the 2016-17 orchestra season, the Orchestra of the Pines will perform Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, or Fantastic Symphony.

“No small task for an orchestra, this performance will be the first time the orchestra has presented Berlioz’s enigmatic and well-adored work,” Moon said. “In the span of 55 minutes, Berlioz puts into music what the heart yearns for, captures and, just as quickly, loses when in pursuit of true love.”

Berlioz describes the work as “an episode in the life of an artist, in five parts.” Fixated upon a woman, Berlioz inscribes her into the work with the use of a musical invention called the “idée fixe,” known today as one’s theme music, Moon explained.

“The musical motif permeates throughout all five movements in a variety of disguises,” he said, “showing itself lovingly and mockingly, seducing and luring the artist to all ends of imagination.”

Guest speaker Dr. Jamie Weaver, associate professor of musicology, will give a short presentation before the performance of the Fantastic Symphony.

“Berlioz’s work is a hallmark in the development of the symphony and one that comes very close to the amazing task of matching the symphonic majesty of Beethoven,” Moon said.

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 (888) 240-ARTS or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.

Seven Stephen F. Austin State University faculty members were recognized April 11 for their teaching abilities during the annual Teaching Excellence Convocation.

“At SFA, excellence in teaching is at the core of our mission. These honorees represent not only themselves but also many others who are the best in education,” said Dr. Steve Bullard, SFA provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Our mission at SFA is to engage students in a learner-centered environment. This year’s honorees are exemplars of this mission in action.”

The Teaching Excellence Awards were established in 1994 to honor outstanding classroom teachers at SFA. Each of the university’s six colleges selects a faculty member to receive the annual award based on knowledge of subject matter, quality of lectures and assignments, enthusiasm for teaching, interest in and availability to students, commitment to continuous improvement, and contribution to the quality of teaching at SFA by assisting and encouraging other faculty members. The 2017 recipients are as follows:

Rusche College of Business

Dr. Kyle Jones, associate professor of finance, joined the Rusche College of Business faculty in 2000. He earned his doctoral degree in finance from the University of Mississippi, and his Master of Science in business administration and bachelor’s degree in computer science from Georgia Southwestern College.

Jones serves as a faculty advisor for the nationally recognized and award-winning Mast Student Investment Roundtable and holds the Certified Financial Analyst designation. His teaching and research interests include international finance, corporate and managerial finance, and risk management.

James I. Perkins College of Education

Dr. Christina Sinclair, interim associate dean for assessment and accountability for the College of Education and associate professor, joined SFA’s Department of Kinesiology and Health Science moving from the University of Northern Colorado, where she worked for 12 years. Sinclair received tenure in 2006.

Sinclair graduated with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Texas at San Antonio, a master’s degree in education from Sul Ross State University and a doctoral degree in physical education with a minor in educational psychology from the University of New Mexico.

Sinclair’s areas of interest include participation in physical activity, especially through quality kindergarten through 12th grade physical education, and increasing children’s intrinsically motivated free-time physical activity. She helps teachers, as well as SFA students, learn about creating accessible climates in physical activity settings, alternative curriculum, instructional models and assessment.

College of Fine Arts

In 1995, Dr. David A. Lewis, professor of art history in SFA’s School of Art, joined the SFA faculty after previously teaching modern art at the University of Georgia and Hamilton College. He graduated cum laude from the University of Southern Indiana with a bachelor’s degree in art and philosophy. He earned his Master of Arts and doctoral degree in art history from Indiana University.

Lewis’ responsibilities on campus include mentoring students as art editor for the SFASU Press. He served as director of the School of Art. He also oversaw the development of an off-campus gallery, which is now the Ed and Gwen Cole Art Center, and co-founded LaNana Creek Press as editor.

Lewis’ contributions to the university include expanding the art and photographic history curriculum, promoting a course in professional practices and establishing a graduate certificate program in museum studies. Additionally, Lewis initiated SFA’s School of Art’s exchange program with Libera Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence, Italy, and he has organized more than 30 exhibitions.

Among his notable publications are studies of American artists Rico Lebrun, Corinne Michael West and John Heliker. Lewis is an authority on the work of photographer Frank Dituri. Some of Lewis’ articles have been translated into Italian, Russian and Spanish.

Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture

Dr. Joey Bray, chair of the Department of Agriculture and associate professor, joined SFA’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture in 2002. He also serves as director of poultry science, which includes SFA’s Broiler Research Center and Poultry Research Center.

Bray received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in agriculture from SFA and his doctoral degree in poultry management from Texas A&M University. He teaches numerous undergraduate and graduate poultry science courses and introductory livestock anatomy and physiology for the animal science curriculum at SFA.

His research focuses on poultry management practices such as nutritional feed additives, poultry health, poultry lighting, poultry husbandry and welfare, and the environmental impacts of commercial poultry production.

College of Liberal and Applied Arts

Dr. Jessie Sams, associate professor of linguistics in the Department of English and Creative Writing, joined the SFA faculty in 2009. She earned her Bachelor of Science in English from Truman State University and both her Master of Arts and doctoral degree in linguistics from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Her primary teaching and research interests include English grammar, history of the English language and invented languages.

College of Sciences and Mathematics

In 2008, Dr. Joe Musser, associate professor, joined the faculty of SFA’s Department of Physics, Engineering and Astronomy. Musser received a Bachelor of Science in education from West Texas State University in 1988 and his doctoral degree in physics from Texas A&M University in 2006.

Prior to joining the SFA faculty, Musser taught calculus, physics and physical science at Caprock High School in Amarillo.

In 2011, the Optical Society honored Musser, and in 2012, he was awarded the Patent and Innovation Award from Texas A&M University System’s Office of Technology Commercialization. He was elected to serve on the executive board of the Texas Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers in 2010.

His research interests include environmental sensing, natural photonic structures, quantum optics and physics pedagogy.

Adjunct Teaching

Marie Kelly is a lecturer in the Schlief School of Accountancy in the Rusche College of Business. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration and master’s degree from SFA.

As a Texas teacher certified in mathematics and business, Kelly taught at Douglass ISD for 13 years. She also is a Certified Public Accountant and holds the Chartered Global Management Accountant certification. Prior to joining SFA in 1987, Kelly worked in public accounting and in private industry.

Her teaching and research interests include financial and managerial accounting, accounting ethics and learning techniques among undergraduate accounting students. She is active in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Texas Society of CPAs and the East Texas Chapter of CPAs. She also received TSCPA’s Outstanding Accounting Educator Award in 2015.