Everything Nac

Surrounded by dense rainforest, Dr. Carmen Montana-Schalk, assistant professor of biology at Stephen F. Austin State University, dragged a net into the Rupununi River in Guyana hoping to catch a piranha. Having previously conducted research in the region, Montana-Schalk was the natural choice when the BBC show “Animal Impossible” needed an expert for an episode about piranhas.

Known by the locals as “Carmen, the Fish Biologist,” she has worked with villagers in Yupukari Village in Guyana on several fish conservation projects. On location with “Animal Impossible,” Montana-Schalk answered questions and provided insight as the hosts of the show learned how to measure the bite force of a red-bellied piranha and swam with a school of piranhas in a tank.

“This show was a great experience, not only because I was working with the fantastic BBC team, but also because I was sharing knowledge about a group of fish that people are afraid of and helped dispel some myths surrounding them,” Montana-Schalk said. “I was excited to share with people that piranhas are not as dangerous as the myths suggest and that it is actually safe to swim with them.”

Serving as an assistant professor at SFA since the fall of 2019, Montana-Schalk was originally attracted to the school because of the region’s high fish diversity. She has taught courses at SFA in general ecology and ichthyology and also serves as the curator of the fish collection in the Department of Biology. She is passionate about speaking to the importance of predatory fishes in freshwater ecosystems.

“Piranhas’ evolutionary history and trophic diversification make them a unique group of fish in neotropical regions,” Montana-Schalk said.

While there are no piranhas found natively in the U.S., they are plentiful in Montana-Schalk’s home country of Venezuela, where she encountered them in rivers while conducting research projects as an undergraduate and graduate student.

“In these rivers of South America, the fish diversity is so high that we can find about five species of piranhas in the same habitat,” Montana-Schalk said.

The piranhas group includes species with varied feeding habits, including fish that eat fruits, invertebrates, or fish scales, and carnivore piranhas that feed on fish. From the fossil of a Megapiranha that lived 10 million years ago, researchers learned that its bite force was estimated to be nearly three times greater than the bite force of an American alligator, Montana-Schalk said. It’s just another reason she loves studying them and teaching others about them.

Episode nine of “Animal Impossible,” “Piranhas,” can be viewed on Amazon.

To learn more about Montana-Schalk’s work with SFA’s Department of Biology, visit sfasu.edu/biology.

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

The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre opens Jean Genet’s “The Maids” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, in Kennedy Auditorium on the SFA campus for in-person audience performances and virtual performances. SFA students, from left, Mars Molen, Ponder freshman, and Hannah Marfin, San Antonio freshman, rehearse a scene from the absurdist play that explores issues of violence, jealousy, mental health, sexuality, gender and class. The play, which is recommended for mature audiences, will also be presented at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28. General ticket prices are: adult, $15; senior (62+), $10; non-SFA student, $10; SFA faculty/staff, $7.50; youth, $7.50; SFA student, $5; virtual access, $15. Purchase tickets/virtual access at boxoffice.sfasu.edu. Seating is limited; face masks are required.

The Music Preparatory Division of the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music will celebrate its 40th anniversary with an all-day music festival on Saturday, May 1, at the Music Prep House, located at 3028 Raguet St.

The outdoor event will feature the talents of Music Prep’s outstanding student musicians and give local merchants the opportunity to showcase their businesses while showing support for the School of Music’s outreach program, according to Alba Madrid, Music Prep director and program instructor.

“This family-friendly outdoor music festival is the perfect way to end our school year, and it is a fitting tribute to 40 years of making music,” Madrid said. “This music festival will be a socially distanced event allowing music lovers to enjoy exceptional music, exhibition booths, food vendors and the great outdoors.”

Since 1980, the Music Prep faculty has worked to create a fun and rewarding environment for children and adults of Nacogdoches County and surrounding communities to pursue their musical endeavors, Madrid explained. The program’s mission is to provide an accessible and inclusive community center for music education that fosters the creative growth of individuals, inspires passion and creativity, and promotes excellence and well-being in the Nacogdoches area.

“Throughout the years, the Music Preparatory Division has had many apprentices who went on to enjoy successful music careers,” Madrid said. “With this music festival, we will celebrate the accomplishments of our current students by sharing their performances with the community. Our program will begin with our youngest artists in Kindermusik and Suzuki programs. Students taking private lessons will be featured in solo performances in various instruments. We will close with a compelling performance by the Piney Woods Youth Symphony Orchestra.”

Local merchants can be a part of the celebration by showcasing their businesses at booth spaces that will line the grounds of the Music Prep Building and/or by donating door prizes to be given away during the festival. Event sponsorships are also available, and local food trucks will be onsite.

“This will be our first live performances post-COVID, and we want the entire community to be involved,” Madrid said. “Your participation and sponsorships will help to fund future projects and support our students through scholarships.”

The event is from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 1. Deadline to register for event booth space is April 1. For more information about sponsorships, or to register for a booth, contact Madrid at (936) 468-1291 or musicprep@sfasu.edu. For more information about Music Prep, visit sfamusicprep.com.

The A Cappella Choir at Stephen F. Austin State University will present the virtual concert “Songs for Eternity” when the ensemble performs at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 5.

The choir will perform works by J.S. Bach, Johannes Brahms, Ralph Vaughan Williams and William Hawley. The concert explores eternal love in both sacred and secular poetry, according to Dr. Michael Murphy, director of choral activities at SFA and the choir’s conductor.

The concert opens with Vaughan Williams’ festive and virtuosic “A Choral Flourish.” Three movements from Bach’s Cantata 140, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, will also be performed.

“This cantata is rich with biblical allusions and explores the idea of a bridegroom meeting his bride,” Murphy said.

The choir will perform Brahms’ last song in his “Three Quartets,” Der Gang zum Liebchen. Murphy describes its inspiration as a “straightforward poem where a lover walks to his sweetheart under the moonlight.”

Dr. Ron Petti, director of collaborative piano at SFA, will accompany. School of Music faculty members Jennifer Dalmas, Abby Held, Alba Madrid, Melissa Nabb and Evgeni Raychev will collaborate on the concert.

Free access to the online, livestreamed concert will be available at music.sfasu.edu on the night of the performance. For more information about the School of Music, call (936) 468-4602.

Stephen F. Austin State University President Dr. Scott Gordon signed an articulation agreement with Alvin Community College during a virtual ceremony Feb. 22 to make a clear pathway for ACC students wishing to pursue a bachelor’s degree at SFA.

“It’s an exciting day as we take another step together to expand higher education to more Texans in the Houston area,” Gordon said. “I am thrilled about this relationship, and we are ready to welcome ACC students with open arms. This agreement will help remove road blocks to access and affordability as well as provide students a seamless transition to SFA.”

During the signing event, Gordon made note of the fact that more than 600 students from the Alvin region were admitted to SFA last year.

“This agreement is designed to expand opportunities for ACC students who want to transfer to SFA,” said Dr. Christal M. Albrecht, ACC president. “This is a win-win for our institutions and most of all a winning arrangement for our students.”

The agreement will ensure that students at ACC can transfer completed courses to SFA without any loss of credit or recognition of approved courses applied toward the degree.

“Signing this agreement is a symbolic gesture, but the symbolism is of a partnership carefully made,” said Dr. Steve Bullard, SFA’s provost and vice president of academic affairs. “You may all be familiar with the phrase, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.’ This is example of going far together.”

Under the agreement, students taking associate degree courses at ACC in business administration, criminal justice, general studies and teaching can use their courses toward SFA bachelor’s degree programs in business administration, criminal justice, general studies and interdisciplinary studies.

“This articulation agreement also provides a mechanism to enable students who have completed courses prescribed by this agreement to transfer those courses from ACC to SFA and, thereby, satisfy up to 66 semester hours credit toward the degree,” said Dr. Jessica Ranero-Ramirez, ACC director of College and Career Pathways. “In addition, this process will streamline the reverse transfer process for students to complete their ACC degrees by applying courses taken at SFA back to the associate degree.”

For more information about programs at SFA, visit sfasu.edu. For more information about programs at ACC, visit alvincollege.edu.