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Dr. Scott Coleman, clinical associate professor at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Dentistry and Stephen F. Austin State University alumnus and former regent, will give the commencement address during SFA’s graduation ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, in Johnson Coliseum.

Coleman received a bachelor’s degree in biology from SFA in 1980 and graduated first in his class from UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry with a doctorate in dental surgery.

A member of the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, Coleman also is an Eagle Scout, a third-degree black belt in hapkido, first-degree black belt in taekwondo, and an avid college basketball fan. He spends his free time training for Run Disney half-marathons with his three grown children.

To attend commencement, attendees 5 years and older must have a ticket to enter Johnson Coliseum. Tickets are free and will help university officials ensure the venue is not overcrowded. A limited number of tickets per each graduate candidate is available and must be reserved in advance by the candidate.

The public also is invited to attend, and community tickets will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis at the coliseum ticket office one hour before the ceremony begins.

Degrees to be awarded include 230 bachelor’s, 82 master’s and six doctoral degrees. More than 50 students will graduate with honors, including 19 cum laude, 16 magna cum laude and 20 summa cum laude. Two students will graduate with the university scholar designation.

For more information, visit gosfa.com/august24grad.

ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY

Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 37 academic facilities, nine residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering more than 120 areas of study. Learn more at sfasu.edu.

By University Marketing Communications

Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Aug. 8 in the Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center.

Steven Chamblee, retired director of horticulture with the Longview Arboretum and Nature Center, will present “Am I Tired or Just Retired? Gardening as a Lifestyle and Not a Hobby.”

Chamblee is a horticulturist and public speaker with a great history of gardening and a unique perspective on life and people. Active in horticulture for more than 40 years, he uses humor and heart to bring hard science home and inspire gardeners across Texas.

Chamblee’s love for plants began when he would help his father transplant trees in the late 1970s. He soon formed Southern Lawn Care, a landscape maintenance company, and in 1986, he joined the Fort Worth Botanic Garden as a gardener.

Chamblee’s natural curiosity led him to enroll in Tarrant County College, where he earned his Associate of Applied Science in horticulture. Still working full time at the garden, Chamblee earned his Bachelor of Science in ornamental horticulture from Tarleton State University and a Master of Science in public horticulture administration from the University of Delaware.

After graduate school, he served as the native plant horticulturist for the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary in McKinney before returning to the Fort Worth Botanic Garden as the grounds manager. He has also served as chief horticulturist for Chandor Gardens in Weatherford and as the executive director of the Longview Arboretum.

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 Pineywoods Native Plant Center and Raguet Elementary School, located at 2428 Raguet St.

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

ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY

Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 37 academic facilities, nine residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering more than 120 areas of study. Learn more at sfasu.edu.

By University Marketing Communications