Everything Nac

Dr. Gary T. Wurtz

With a 30-year history at SFA, Wurtz has served as interim dean of the ECFA since July 1, 2021 to the present. Joining the faculty at SFA in 1992, he was professor of trumpet at SFA from ’92 to 2016 and director of the Swingin’ Axes jazz band during most of that time. He served as director of the SFA Summer Band Camps for 10 years.

Wurtz was director of the SFA School of Music for five years from 2016 to 2021, having served as interim director for six months prior to that appointment. He has also served as associate director, assistant director and coordinator of undergraduate students for the School of Music.

“To be named dean of the Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts is an honor that humbles me to my core,” Wurtz said. “I began teaching here as an adjunct trumpet instructor in 1992, and in the years since then I have taught hundreds of students, contributed to countless performances, worked alongside many inspiring colleagues, held every possible rank, and made more friends than anyone deserves. My wife and I decided many years ago that SFA was a good fit for us, and we chose to plant deep roots here in Nacogdoches. We have been active in the community, raised two children, and tried to make a positive impact wherever we could. I enter into this next chapter of my life knowing I have much to learn, but eager to get to work on behalf of the many fine students, faculty and staff members who study and work here.”

Wurtz is the recipient of SFA’s Teaching Excellence Award for the College of Fine Arts in 2011 and was named a “Gem of SFA” by the provost the same year. He was the college’s nominee for the Faculty Achievement Award in Teaching for the 2014-15 academic year.

He has served on numerous national, state and university committees and councils, including financial assistance and scholarship, budgeting, admission standards, policy, strategic planning and compliance committees, among others, at SFA. In the 2004-05 academic year, Wurtz served as chair of the Faculty Senate, and in 2020-21 as chair of the Chairs Forum. He currently serves on the Campus Master Planning Committee, Compliance Coordinating Committee and University Training Curriculum Task Force.

Wurtz becomes the first dean of the recently renamed college following a generous gift last fall from the Bill Elliott family of Nacogdoches in support of the university and to honor the late Micky Elliott’s love of fine arts.

“When you consider the combination of Bill Elliott’s life-changing gift to the college with the university’s commitment to the fine arts through the building of a new facility,” he said, “it is no stretch of the imagination to see that our best days are ahead us, and I am excited and grateful to get to serve in this role as we move forward.”

As an established scholar and performing artist in his field, Wurtz has performed with numerous orchestras and bands, including the National Symphony of the Dominican Republic, Orquesta Filarmonica de Universidad Nacional’de Mexico, Shreveport Symphony, Orchestra of the Pines, Longview Symphony Orchestra, Lewisville Lake Symphony, Lexington (Kentucky) Philharmonic, Richardson Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Opera, Dallas Ballet, Dallas Black Dance Theater and the Dallas Wind Symphony, and many more. He has performed with the Bluebonnet Brass quintet of Fort Worth, Reunion Brass of Dallas, Amarillo Brass Quintet and continues to perform with the Piney Woods Brass Quintet.

Prior to his university experience, Wurtz taught trumpet in several Texas public schools in The Colony, Lake Highlands, Lewisville, Denton, Pampa, Amarillo and Canyon, as well as in the Dominican Republic. Wurtz earned a Bachelor of Music Education from West Texas State University, and a Master of Music in Music Education and Doctor of Musical Arts, both from the University of North Texas and under the mentorship of Dr. Leonard Candelaria.

He and his wife, Mindy, have two children, Gage, who is 27, and Hannah, a senior at Central Heights High School.

Graduate-level students in Stephen F. Austin State University’s School of Social Work will present research in correlation with the 21/7 Association’s Youth Engagement Project at 5 p.m. May 5 in the C.L. Simon Recreation Center’s meeting room.

Since February, seven students enrolled in the Social Work Macro Practice course, which centers around working with organizations and communities, have researched the lack of access and participation among youth living in areas surrounding Highways 21 and 7. The students also analyzed the impact of civic engagement on youth connectedness to their local community and developed solutions and recommendations for consideration and implementation.

“This is important because it provides a real-life learning opportunity for the students and shows the impact of assessment and research on individuals, organizations and communities,” said Lenola Wyatt, adjunct professor in the School of Social Work.

The presentation is free and open to the public with the intent to bring city and county officials, local residents and organizations together to consider possible solutions to youth civic engagement and access to city and county recreational services.

The 21/7 Association is made up of concerned citizens working to improve the quality of life for residents within the Highway 21 and 7 geographic boundaries.

For more information on the event, contact Wyatt at wyattlenol@sfasu.edu.

By Nathan Wicker, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Are you an East Texas region high school science teacher who would like to improve your ability to deliver exciting classroom labs? If so, Stephen F. Austin State University’s summer 2022 workshops can help.

JacksTeach secondary science and mathematics teacher preparation program will offer three, one-week workshops on the SFA campus this summer focused on empowering high school teachers to deliver highly engaging lab experiences for their students. Each workshop is separate and runs from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. Dates and subjects are:

· June 13 through 17 – Biology/Life Sciences

· June 13 through 17 – Physics

· June 27 through July 1 – Chemistry

Workshops will be led by SFA faculty and JacksTeach staff. There is no cost to participate, and continuing professional education credits will be earned. Lunch will be provided.

Teachers who participate in a full-week workshop will receive a $500 stipend and $500 worth of laboratory supplies for their classroom provided by SFA’s Center for Applied Rural Research and Innovation.

Lessons will meet Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, and Next Generation Science Standards. These workshops will provide an excellent opportunity to network with teachers from other districts.

Interested science teachers can apply at gosfa.com/sci-lab-solutions-app. Direct your questions to Dr. Jane Long, JacksTeach director, by email at jacksteach@sfasu.edu or by phone at (936) 468-3960. The deadline to apply is May 2.