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Assistant Professor Barry Staffordand O&M student Beth Morgan

Sawdust

“One of my favorite early signs of spring is making that first trip out to the ballpark to shoot a Lumberjack baseball game and seeing the crazy Left Field-ers cheering on our players from behind the outfield fence.” – University Photographer Hardy Meredith

Spirited fans known as the Left Fielders are shown rooting for their beloved Lumberjack Baseball Team in spring 2010.

Hardy’s Pic

Spring 2011 • Volume 38, No. 1

EXECUTIVE EDITORJeff Davis ’02, Executive Director of Alumni Affairs

EDITORAmy Roquemore ’93, Editorial Coordinator, SFA Public Affairs

ARTISTIC DIRECTORRhonda Crim-Tumelson, Director of Alumni Publications, SFA Alumni Association

STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY is a comprehensive institution dedicated to excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, creative work and service. Through the personal attention of our faculty and staff, we engage our students in a learner-centered environment and offer opportunities to prepare for the challenges of living in the global community.

The SFA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION is a non-profit organization dedi-cated to serving the alumni, friends and current students of Stephen F. Austin State University through programs, scholarships and activities that create an attitude of continued loyalty and support.

SAWDUST is a joint publication of the Stephen F. Austin State Univer-sity Alumni Association and Stephen F. Austin State University. It is pub-lished four times a year in the winter, spring, summer and fall. Subscrip-tions are included in SFA Alumni Association memberships.

CAMPUS NEWS 2 Study Abroad 4 President’s Message 8 Sound Recording10 Pre-Professional Programs 14 AARC15 Vista Viewpoint

National TreasuresResource interpretation alumni serving across the country

Jack CampExtended orientation program promotes friendship and spirit

Leadership in TrainingROTC program prepares future military officers

Leading the WayO&M program trains students to help blind and visually impaired

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11ALUMNI NEWS 30 From the Association31 Free Spirit 38 Scholarships 39 Chapters 40 Class Notes 43 In Memoriam 48 All Hail to SFA

FEATURES16 11

24

Sawdust2

Campus News

SFA STUDENTS PARTICIPAT-ING in the Nelson Rusche College of Business study abroad program this summer will visit “the land of the midnight sun,” a place rich with beauty, history and lessons they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Encompassing the cities of Co-penhagen, Denmark; Oslo, Norway; and Stockholm, Sweden, the jour-ney will expose more than a dozen students to a region of Europe that blends ancient histories and cultures with thriving modern economies.

Lecturer Lone Wittliff and professor Robert Culpepper, both

from the Department of Manage-ment, Marketing and International Business, will lead the two-week trip, which will include visits to professional Scandinavian venues involved in international trade and finance. The itinerary includes pri-vate meetings and tours at Maersk Line shipping, Danske Bank, H&M clothing, IKEA furniture and acces-sories, and Orrefors crystal.

Wittliff, who grew up in Swe-den and is a Danish citizen, empha-sizes that academics are just one important component of the study abroad program; developing a re-spect for other cultures is another.

“The thing that I try to stress is tolerance and acceptance of oth-ers,” said Wittliff. “Students get so much out of travel, both in the small details and in the big picture. It’s not just about sightseeing; it’s about understanding people and other cul-tures, and I think that’s so important.”

When Department of Gen-eral Business Professor J. Keaton Grubbs began developing the study abroad program for the college in 2005, he saw it as an opportunity for students to enhance their busi-ness knowledge and engage in the enlightening and transformative experience that results from im-

Studying Business AbroadBy Sarah Cutler

SFA business students tour the corporate

headquarters of global chemical

company BASF in Ludwigshafen,

Germany.

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3Spring 2011

A TWO-TIME ALL Ameri-can, SFA senior quarter-back Jeremy Moses was named the 2010 Walter Payton Player of the Year, becoming the first South-land Conference athlete to receive the honor in the award’s 24-year history. “It is a tremendous honor,” Moses said. “It’s a big deal, not because it is our version of the Heis-man Trophy, but because SFA has never won the honor before. Similar to winning back-to-back Southland Conference titles, it is another piece of history that this team has been able to achieve.” The Payton award is presented annually to the most outstanding college football player at the Football Championship Subdivision level. The winner is chosen by a nationwide panel of media members and college media relations directors. A two-time Southland Conference Player of the Year and the 2010 SLC Offensive Player of the Year, Mo-ses led SFA to a 9-3 record and the university’s second consecutive conference title, guiding the Lumberjacks through a historical season that was capped by a return trip to the NCAA FCS Playoffs. Moses was the catalyst for the nation’s most prolific passing offense each of the past two seasons. The Lumberjacks led the country, averaging more than 360 yards per game, and they were ranked among the nation’s top six in scoring offense and total offense. He has ranked at or near the top in the country in nearly every statistical category in each of the past three seasons. A 2009 Walter Payton Award finalist, Mo-ses led the nation in completions and passing yards, finishing second in total offense and sixth overall in points responsible for. He closed out his career by be-coming the school’s and conference’s all-time leading passer and finishing among the NCAA FCS all-time top 10 in total offense, passing yards, touchdown passes and completions. “Jeremy has been the foundation for what we’ve been able to accomplish and for what we hope to do in the future,” said SFA head coach J.C. Harper. “Most people think he is just the product of our system, but we are able to do what we do because of his talent. He has been a model of consistency since he stepped on campus.” ✯

Moses wins 2010Walter Payton Award

By James Dixon

top Business students and faculty members visit Lloyds of London.

bottom An SFA contingent is pictured at the Mausoleum of the Terracotta Army in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China.

MOSES

3

mersing oneself in other cultures.“Experiencing new and differ-

ent things grows students person-ally and professionally,” Grubbs said. “It gives them new insights and perspectives – sometimes fa-vorable, sometimes not as favorable – but always adding to their realm of knowledge and understanding.”

Since the first trip to China in 2006, SFA students have traveled to Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Geneva, Paris, London, Strasburg, Stuttgart, Brussels, Den Hague, Amsterdam and numerous other cities. They have visited Lloyds of London, ExxonMobil Europe,

Texas Instruments China, Haier Group China, the Bundesbank, German Stock Exchange, Interna-tional Chamber of Commerce, Eu-ropean Union Parliament and EU Council, World Intellectual Prop-erty Organization, World Trade Organization, Mercedes Benz, Sin-gapore Airlines, and many other well-known professional venues.

“They have experienced inter-national travel, international busi-ness and so many cultures,” Grubbs said. “As cliché as it sounds, I have witnessed lives literally changed through this experience.” ✯

THOSE OF US who are on campus regularly are celebrating the arrival of spring and the beautiful backdrop it always provides SFA. We are also enjoying watching the new four-story fresh-

man residence hall take shape where Garner Apartments once stood. The new hall has been designed to meet the unique residential and academic needs of first-year Lumberjacks and will include a Fresh-man Success Center where students may access computers, tutoring and other academic support services. The new hall will be ready for occupancy in time for the start of the fall 2011 semester.

Another cause for celebration came in January, when Lumberjack quarterback Jeremy Moses was named the 2010 Walter Payton Award winner. This award is presented annually to the most outstanding col-lege football player at the FCS level. Jeremy is the first SFA player to receive the honor and the first Southland Conference recipient in the award’s 24-year history. As SFA football fans, we have all enjoyed watching Jeremy lead the team to back-to-back conference champi-onships. Although he will graduate this May, I am confident he will continue to be an outstanding ambassador for our university.

The spring semester has also come with challenges. Texas is fac-ing a projected budget shortfall that will affect SFA and other state institutions for at least the next two years. The administration is work-ing hard to minimize the effect required budget cuts will have on the

delivery of the university’s academic mission. I remain confident that we will work through these issues and emerge more focused than ever.

Axe ’em ’Jacks!

BOARD OF REGENTSJohn R. “Bob” Garrett, chair, TylerSteve D. McCarty, vice chair-elect, AltoJames H. Dickerson, secretary-elect, New BraunfelsCarlos Z. Amaral, PlanoDr. Scott H. Coleman, HoustonValerie E. Ertz, DallasBrigettee C. Henderson, LufkinKenton E. Schaefer, BrownsvilleRalph C. Todd, CarthageSydni M. Mitchell, student regent, Spring

UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATIONDr. Baker Pattillo, presidentDr. Richard Berry, provost/vice president for academic affairsDr. Steve Westbrook, vice president for university affairsDanny Gallant, vice president for finance and administrationSid Walker, vice president for development

OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRSBob Wright, executive director of marketing and public affairsShirley Luna, associate director of public affairs/media relationsHardy Meredith, university photographerAmy Roquemore, editorial coordinator

Baker Pattillo ’65 & ’66President, Stephen F. Austin

State University

President’s Message

Sawdust4

The administration is working hard to minimize the effect required budget cuts will have on the delivery of the university’s academic mission.

HEY WORK IN some of the most breathtak-ingly beautiful and in-

triguing settings in America. They are master storytellers, preserving the country’s rich oral-history tradi-tion while incorporating modern technology to protect natural re-sources. And what binds them to-gether, across state lines, mountains and valleys, is the Resource Inter-pretation program at SFA.

Since its inception in 2003, the Master of Science in Resource In-terpretation program in the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture has offered interpreters in state and federal agencies the op-portunity to earn a master’s degree through distance education.

A joint effort of the National Park Service and SFA, the Web-based program is the only compre-hensive program of its kind in the country. The online classes give

students an opportunity to network with fellow professionals located all over the country, including 40 dif-ferent states and Washington, D.C.

Dr. Theresa Coble, associate professor of forest recreation and in-terpretation, describes the program as a “hidden treasure” at SFA.

“Our students have a passion to serve, and they understand the value of lifelong learning and making full use of online resources,” Coble said. “They are custodians of our park ex-perience. They are responsible for communicating the value of our na-tional parks to all people, especially young people.”

Most graduates work in na-tional parks, historic sites or wild-life refuges and use their skills to provide a meaningful visitor experi-ence by promoting understanding of resources.

For many, the program pres-ents an opportunity for career ad-

vancement, which was the case for Ajena Rogers ’08 who was a mid-career interpreter when she joined the program.

“Being a part of the MSRI pro-gram broadened my horizons so much. I was a good front-line inter-preter, but I longed to do more, be more,” Rogers said.

“By getting exposure to inter-pretive planning, curriculum-based programming, and interpretive lead-ership and research, I could see for the first time all the possibilities the field of interpretation held for me. I doubt that I would have even enter-tained the idea of managing a site or leading an interpretive staff with-out the knowledge I gained and the self-confidence I developed through working with my peers and profes-sors in the MSRI program at SFA.”

For more information about the program, visit www2.sfasu.edu/msri/program.htm.

By Kayli Steger

Victoria Mates ’06 points out a landmark at Yosemite National Park.

Photo courtesy of Victoria Mates

Sawdust6

Julie Johndreau ’08 is education specialist at Badlands National Park in South Dakota. She manages education outreach programs at the park, including distance-learning technology, to share park information with students in kindergarten through 12th grade who may never get the chance to visit the park in person.

Carol Clark ’06 is a park ranger and interpretive specialist at the National Trails Intermountain Region in Santa Fe, N.M. She administers the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program and nine national historic trails, including the Mantle Rock Preserve in Livingston County, Ky., where visitors can walk the route Cherokee Indians walked in the early 1800s.

Abby Snow ’08 is the supervisory park ranger at Death Valley National Park in California. She manages the interpretation of Scotty’s Castle, an early 20th-century home with original furnishings and artifacts.

Sky McClain ’10 is the educational outreach program manager for the Southern Nevada Agency Partnership.

Matt Hampsey ’10 is an inter-pretive park ranger at the New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park. He works to preserve the origins, early history and progression of jazz through projects like

educational CDs, exhibits and films.

David Smith ’08 is serving as a Bevinetto Congressional Fellow, working with the U.S. House of Representatives on the Natural Resources Committee. He will move to the National Park Service’s Washington office for the last year of his term. Smith credits his advancement to the flexible, accommodating nature of the online courses and the custom-ized subject matter of the MSRI program.

Ajena Cason Rogers ’08 is acting supervisory ranger at the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site in Richmond, Va. At the site, she tells the story of a black entrepreneur, community activist and pioneering civil-rights leader through the show-ing of Walker’s historic home, exhibits and educational programming.

Mary Woodin ’09 is finance technician for Mammoth Hot Springs at Yellowstone National Park. She is pictured with her husband, Jason Murphy, left, and Vice President Joe Biden at Madison Fire Circle at Yellowstone.

Victoria Mates ’06, deputy chief of interpre-tation and education at Yosemite National Park, was an early graduate of the MSRI program and is proud of how it has grown. “It felt like we were contributing to piloting a program that would move the profes-

sion of interpretation forward and provide much-needed research on what interpreters are doing, achieving and perhaps needing to change to be even better.”

Catherine McCarthy ’05 of San Antonio was the first graduate of the program and frequently works with Dr. Theresa Coble on various educa-tional endeavors. They currently are collaborat-ing with NASA, National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

on the Earth to Sky Partnership, a program designed to interpret global climate change, among other initiatives.

“Yosemite is a special place, and I view it as a privilege to work here. It is incredibly rewarding to work with a talented team of interpreters and see their creativity and enthusiasm for the preservation of Yosemite.” –Mates

7Spring 2011

Julie Johndreau ’08 is education specialist at Badlands National Park in South Dakota. She manages education outreach programs at the park, including distance-learning technology, to share park information with students in kindergarten through 12th grade who may never get the chance to visit the park in person.

Carol Clark ’06 is a park ranger and interpretive specialist at the National Trails Intermountain Region in Santa Fe, N.M. She administers the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program and nine national historic trails, including the Mantle Rock Preserve in Livingston County, Ky., where visitors can walk the route Cherokee Indians walked in the early 1800s.

Abby Snow ’08 is the supervisory park ranger at Death Valley National Park in California. She manages the interpretation of Scotty’s Castle, an early 20th-century home with original furnishings and artifacts.

Sky McClain ’10 is the educational outreach program manager for the Southern Nevada Agency Partnership.

Matt Hampsey ’10 is an inter-pretive park ranger at the New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park. He works to preserve the origins, early history and progression of jazz through projects like

educational CDs, exhibits and films.

David Smith ’08 is serving as a Bevinetto Congressional Fellow, working with the U.S. House of Representatives on the Natural Resources Committee. He will move to the National Park Service’s Washington office for the last year of his term. Smith credits his advancement to the flexible, accommodating nature of the online courses and the custom-ized subject matter of the MSRI program.

Ajena Cason Rogers ’08 is acting supervisory ranger at the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site in Richmond, Va. At the site, she tells the story of a black entrepreneur, community activist and pioneering civil-rights leader through the show-ing of Walker’s historic home, exhibits and educational programming.

Mary Woodin ’09 is finance technician for Mammoth Hot Springs at Yellowstone National Park. She is pictured with her husband, Jason Murphy, left, and Vice President Joe Biden at Madison Fire Circle at Yellowstone.

Victoria Mates ’06, deputy chief of interpre-tation and education at Yosemite National Park, was an early graduate of the MSRI program and is proud of how it has grown. “It felt like we were contributing to piloting a program that would move the profes-

sion of interpretation forward and provide much-needed research on what interpreters are doing, achieving and perhaps needing to change to be even better.”

Catherine McCarthy ’05 of San Antonio was the first graduate of the program and frequently works with Dr. Theresa Coble on various educa-tional endeavors. They currently are collaborat-ing with NASA, National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

on the Earth to Sky Partnership, a program designed to interpret global climate change, among other initiatives.

“The leadership skills I acquired at SFA, along with classes that em-phasized writing and a good foun-dation in interpretation, help me immensely in my current position. The relationships I developed with other resource professionals have proven useful, as well.” –Smith

ResourceInterpretation

SFA Alumni Across the Country

Sawdust8

HUMAN TRAFFICKING, DRUG abuse and domestic violence are just a few of the op-pressive issues exposed at the annual in-teractive Tunnel of Oppression sponsored by the SFA Office of Multicultural Affairs and Lumberjack Cultural Association.

“Every day, we must choose wheth-er to confront oppression or avoid it,” said Dr. Terrence Frazier, OMA director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs. “This experience is designed to empower our community to make a difference and stand up against injustice while cel-ebrating our own individuality.”

Many cultures, one Lumberjack family By Nicole Hall

Students enter a portion of the Tunnel of Oppression depicting the effects of homelessness.

8

ALTHOUGH IT BEGAN with only eight students, the SFA School of Music’s new sound recording technology major doubled in size within a year and is rapidly gain-ing recognition across the state.

Program coordinator Kevin Kelleher calls the SRT program he started in 2009 “rigorous.” Not only are the students required to take 28 hours of physics, engineer-ing and math, plus 31 hours of music technology, they also must take music theory and history and be proficient enough musicians to participate in a musical ensemble.

The degree is offered as a Bachelor of Science at many schools, but SFA graduates receive a Bachelor of Music because “the best audio engineers are musicians,” explained Kelleher, who has degrees in music education and composition and experience as a professional drum-mer and sound engineer.

After taking some SRT courses “just for fun,” Na-

cogdoches junior Adelaide Harber switched her piano performance major to sound recording technology. She likes the creativity involved in the field and considers her musical skills a strength.

“And just as I had to keep practicing and improv-ing my skills at the piano, I must keep practicing and increasing my skills with the recording equipment.”

Harber will get plenty of practice time this spring while managing the seven-member recording crew that will record nearly 100 on-campus concerts and recitals and provide live sound for the jazz bands and other ensembles.

The early hands-on opportunities convinced Gar-land freshman Andy Welker to choose SFA’s program over others in the state. Even in the first-semester class-es, students apply what they’re learning by completing weekly assignments in the SRT lab, which includes an impressive industry-standard Pro Tools HD workstation.

The Sound of MusicMusic’s newest major prepares students for careers in sound recording technology By Sylvia Bierschenk

9Spring 2011

Adelaide Harber, a junior in the sound recording technology program, makes adjustments to her recording at the Pro Tools HD workstation.

Some of the coursework prepares students to pass a series of four outside Pro Tools software exams, which lead to an operator certification recognized throughout the profession. SFA recently earned the right to offer two of the exams on campus and plans to eventually offer all four.

“Right from the start, you see how (the profession) is going to be,” said Welker, who has already passed the first exam.

Until funds become available for the program’s own recording studio, students gain experience in a profes-sional recording setting through rotating shifts at the lo-cally owned Encore Recording Studio.

Kelleher is constantly looking for real-world experi-ences for SRT majors. Last fall, his students recorded the Lumberjack Marching Band’s 2009-2010 Sounds from the Stadium CD. Last summer, they provided sound for

one of the downtown Nacogdoches stages during the Texas Blueberry Festival.

In the near future, SRT students will be recording audio for some of the student films produced in SFA’s cinematography program and taking a sound design course within the School of Theatre. Before graduating, each SRT student also will complete a professional in-ternship.

“There are many different opportunities within the industry,” explained Kelleher. “And as professional au-dio engineer Mark Hornsby told my students during a guest lecture, ‘The more you can do, the better.’

“We take that philosophy to heart,” Kelleher contin-ued, “enabling students to find their own path and equip-ping them with the tools they’ll need to pursue their dreams.” ✯

The Tunnel of Oppression epitomiz-es the values of OMA to engage students, faculty and staff to create a campus culture that embraces diversity and en-courages advocacy for social justice and interracial communication. OMA works with more than 25 different student or-ganizations and campus departments in planning educational, social and cultural activities that promote a unique and di-verse college experience.

“Our goal here is to become one Lumberjack family instead of a bunch of groups here or there,” Frazier said. “We want students to be successful no mat-ter what their race.”

OMA was started in 1990 by a group of black students. “It was founded as, first, a support group and, second, to help integrate diversity and social justice throughout the entire university,” Frazier said. “We work with student leaders to have a cultural lens.”

Hannah Meshesha, a junior inter-national business major from Dallas, became involved with OMA during her freshman year.

“I saw how (OMA) interacted and had a lot going on. Ever since then, I have come up to the Multicultural Cen-ter after class and signed up for volun-teer hours.”

In addition to promoting diver-sity, OMA focuses on helping students achieve academic success. The office offers a mentoring program, as well as resources for scholarship and volunteer opportunities. OMA also invites speakers to visit classrooms and make presenta-tions about diversity and how it relates to the field the students are studying.

Jenifer Santos, a junior social work major from Nacogdoches, received a job offer from one of the speakers. “OMA has opened up a lot of opportunities for me,” she said. ✯

“Every day, we must choose whether to confront oppression or avoid it.” - Dr. Terrence Frazier, director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs

Sawdust10

DR. KEVIN LANGFORD likes to tell his students that preparing for medical school or other post-graduate pro-fessional programs is like holding down five jobs at the same time.

“Not only do they need to be successful academi-cally, but they also must prepare for an admission test, gain professional experience, participate in leadership activities and serve their communities.”

SFA’s Pre-Health Professional Programs, directed by Langford, exist to guide students toward successful fulfillment of these and other prerequisites for the pro-fessional program of their choosing. The office is a one-stop shop for students to access the study resources, ad-vising, assistance programs, career counseling and moral support they need to achieve their professional goals.

“It’s a lot more than just academic advising,” Lang-ford said. “It’s really a nurturing of students from the time they declare their intent to pursue professional training until they graduate from SFA and go on with their education. And oftentimes, we keep up with them long after that.”

SFA’s pre-health students are encouraged to apply for medical and other professional schools early, and a high percentage is admitted to the programs of their choice after graduation. Program alumni regularly report feeling more confident and prepared than their peers.

“Medical school is rigorous, but I have been success-ful because of the education I received at SFA,” said Mike Hitchcock, who is now attending UT Southwestern Medi-cal School in Dallas. “I am studying alongside graduates of Ivy League schools, and I feel I am just as well-pre-pared as they are, if not more so.”

SFA’s pre-health programs are housed within the College of Sciences and Mathematics and include pre-medicine, pre-occupational therapy, pre-optometry, pre-pharma-cy, pre-physical therapy, pre-physician assistant and pre-veterinary medicine. The college also advises pre-nursing students in its Academic Advising and Student Services Center.

Students interested in a career in the health profes-sion have myriad choices for their undergraduate edu-cation, but Langford said his program’s relatively small size sets it apart from other universities’ offerings.

“In pre-med at SFA, you may have 15 people in the upper-level classes for your major. It really has the feel of a private college,” he said. “No one can compete with the quality of instruction coupled with the one-on-one assistance we provide our students.”

SFA student organizations, including the pre-med-ical honor society Alpha Epsilon Delta, the American Medical Student Association and the Pre-Dental Student Association, provide pre-health students with opportuni-ties for service, leadership and networking.

A strong emphasis also is placed on professional job shadowing. SFA has built strong relationships with local physicians, dentists and other health professionals who regularly open their practices to SFA students interested in gaining perspective about their daily work.

Carthage senior Alyse Allen said her experience shadowing local doctors has given her confidence that a career in medicine is the right choice for her.

“It’s one thing to look at blood and tissue in a book or under a microscope, but it is totally different when you are looking at an actual person on an operating table,” she said. “If you can’t handle that aspect of medicine, it’s better that you find that out here rather than after you are in medical school.”

Dr. Bill Gandy ’68, a Nacogdoches dentist, credits his SFA education with putting him on the road to pro-fessional success. He now allows pre-dental students to shadow him at his practice, and he and his wife, Barbara, recently led a campaign to support the program through the SFA Foundation.

“We have been happy to support SFA’s Pre-Health Professional Programs in the past and have enjoyed watch-ing it grow into a program of excel-lence under Dr. Langford’s strong leadership,” Gandy said. “It is a real source of pride for me to see the program sending more and more quality students into the pro-fessional ranks.” ✯

Pre-professional programs offer specialized advising and shadowing opportunitiesBy Amy Roquemore

Dr. Aaron Polk is one of many

local physicians who allow

SFA pre-med students

to shadow them at their

practices.

11Spring 2011

Extended orientation program promotes friendship and school spirit > > >

SFASUSFASU

LUMBERJACKSLUMBERJACKS

Austin Rusk

By Amy Roquemore

Sawdust12

EARS OF INTENSE tribal rivalry, whipped

into a frenzy by a gru-eling, high-speed contest

of dexterity, concentration and endurance under a brutal

August sun, had come down to this moment – the ultimate test of Lum-berjack spirit.

As the Austin and Rusk tribes prepared to go head-to-head on the field of competition one last time, boisterous sideline chants from

their leaders, counselors and other supporters echoed through the pine trees at the normally tranquil East Texas campground.

“Dig deep!” “You got this, Aus-tin tribe!” “Rusk, Rusk, Rusk, . . .”

In the end, the traditional tribal competition held all the drama, sus-pense and surprisingly advanced dance choreography for which it has come to be known. One tribe carried the day, while the other ate humble pie. But no one was really keeping score.

And with a final round of sweaty hugs and handshakes with promises to look each other up as soon as fall classes started, another memorable session of Jack Camp came to a spirited close.

“I had seen pictures of Jack Camp, and it looked like fun. But I had no idea what an amazing time it was until I actually experienced it for myself,” said Dereka Brown of Arlington, one of hundreds of incoming freshmen who attended Jack Camp last summer. “This is something no new SFA student should miss.”

Now entering its 10th year, Jack Camp is designed to help new Lum-berjacks make friends, learn about campus life, meet student leaders

and brush up on SFA traditions – all before classes ever begin. The four-day extended orientation program is held each summer at Camp Olym-pia in Trinity, located about 75 miles southwest of Nacogdoches.

At the start of each Jack Camp session, participants are divided into two tribes – Austin and Rusk – that participate in organized recreation-al activities such as games, skits, evening mixers and cheer practice. Campers also are assigned to small-er teams and family groups, which facilitate discussion times and en-courage the development of new friendships.

The Jack Camp itinerary also allows for plenty of down time when students can just hang out at the pool, play games and spend time getting to know each other. Jack Camp participants sleep in air-conditioned cabins and enjoy hot meals prepared for them by the Camp Olympia staff in the on-site cafeteria.

“We have heard countless sto-ries from students who met their best friend at Jack Camp or were encouraged to get involved in a stu-dent organization at Jack Camp and then went on to become a leader in that organization,” said Amanda

13Spring 2011

Horne, one of the camp directors. “The experience really gives stu-dents an extra boost of confidence and enthusiasm to help them start their college career on the right foot, excited to begin their new life as a Lumberjack.”

Jack Camp participants also are more likely to stay at SFA beyond their first year of study, she said. The one-year retention rate of stu-dents who attended Jack Camp in 2009 was 87 percent compared with 64 percent of SFA’s overall student population.

Incoming Pearland freshman Gavin Fish said the small-group ac-tivities at Jack Camp allowed him to really get to know some of his new peers.

“I’m a real big networking person, and I feel I already have a strong network of great people to support me, and school hasn’t even started yet,” he said. “The tribal games were awesome – just a great, fun rivalry. But even though we have a lot of fun with the competi-tion, we know we are all Lumber-

jacks, and we all love each other.”To foster campers’ newfound

school spirit, at the end of each Jack Camp session, the camp leaders cer-emoniously jump into the pool to “wash off” their tribal loyalties, sym-bolizing that the students now are all part of one Lumberjack family.

“I was really nervous about go-ing to college and meeting all new people, and I thought Jack Camp would help me make some friends ahead of time,” said Shelby Rose, an incoming freshman from Fort Worth. Rose and Brown, one of her fellow tribe members, clicked im-mediately, and by the close of the session, the two girls were planning to get together again before the se-mester started to paint their Lum-berjack axe handles in preparation for fall football games.

“I’m so much better prepared to leave home for SFA than I was before I came to Jack Camp,” Rose said. “I was a little anxious before, but now I’m just excited and can’t wait to get there.” ✯

“I had seen pictures of Jack Camp, and it looked like fun. But I had no idea what an amazing time it was until I actually experienced it for myself.” –Dereka Brown, Arlington freshman

The Jack Camp fee is $150 and covers meals, lodging, materials and a T-shirt. Additional information and registration forms may be found online at www.sfasu.edu/jackcamp or picked up at summer orientation. If you have questions, call (936) 468-1367 or e-mail sfajackcamp@gmail.com.

Sawdust14 Sawdust

NOTHING STRIKES FEAR in the heart of a typical college freshman like a class schedule that includes algebra and/or chemistry. But SFA students have an advantage when it comes to studying for these and other rigorous courses.

The award-winning Academic Assistance and Resource Center offers private peer tutoring, walk-in tables, Supplemental Instruction groups, and online math and writ-ing labs – all with proven success at helping SFA students meet or ex-ceed their academic goals.

Housed in Steen Library, the AARC staffs walk-in tables where students can get immediate help in many subjects without an appoint-ment. Students also may register for private weekly sessions with one of 174 certified tutors paid by the uni-versity. All tutors are SFA students, and working at the AARC promotes their own leadership and scholar-ship development.

Each semester, the AARC facil-itates 80 peer-assisted SI groups that meet twice a week. SI is a national academic assistance program that utilizes peer-assisted study sessions in which students compare notes, discuss class readings and develop study tools. Each group is led by an SFA student who has previously

made an A in the course and com-municates regularly with the profes-sor to ensure the group gets the most out of its study sessions.

“We work closely with the fac-ulty to make sure everything we do in the AARC reinforces what they are doing in their classrooms,” AARC Director M.E. McWilliams said. “We always say, ‘We are a proud number two.’ The professor is always the stu-dents’ first and best resource for en-suring academic success.”

The AARC received the pres-tigious Star Award from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and is the only learning center in the nation to have earned Distinguished Certification by the National Association for Develop-mental Education.

The center holds the highest level College Reading and Learning Association Tutor Certification and is one of only two centers in the na-tion certified at all three levels. Last year, the AARC staff was asked to speak before the Texas Senate Fi-nance Committee, promoting the center as a cost-effective program utilizing best practices in providing student academic support.

The AARC’s services are avail-able to all SFA students at no addi-tional cost; however, the focus is on

freshman students enrolled in chem-istry, algebra, developmental math and core subjects, as well as classes with historically high failure rates.

“Our goal is to equip our stu-dents with transferrable study skills that will serve them well throughout the four years they are here at SFA,” McWilliams said.

The AARC is on the front line of SFA’s broader effort to increase stu-dent retention after the first year. A new freshman residence hall opening this fall will include a 5,000-square-foot Freshman Success Center with specially designed spaces and fur-nishings for AARC tutoring sessions and SI group meetings.

“We think by integrating the proven success of the AARC’s pro-grams with the freshman housing facilities, we can have a significant impact on freshman retention,” said Sam Smith, director of student ser-vices. “The new hall was designed primarily to support the university’s academic mission, and the AARC will play a very important part in that effort.”

More SFA students are taking advantage of the AARC each year. More than 75 percent of freshmen participate in a tutoring session or workshop each semester. More than 63,000 AARC visits were logged during the 2009-10 academic year.

These numbers are encourag-ing, McWilliams says, because re-cords reveal that students who visit the AARC at least five times in a given semester usually see a greater impact on their grades than those who only drop in a few times.

“The AARC helped me get an A in statistics,” said Shelby Pear-man, a biology major now working for the AARC as an SI leader.

“When I was taking the class, I always felt lost. It was like I was stuck in a hole with no way to get out. The people at the AARC helped me get through. I really don’t know what I would do without them.”

For more information about the AARC and the services it provides, visit www.sfasu.edu/aarc. ✯

Student + AARC = SuccessBy Amy Roquemore

15Spring 2011

IN 2004, I decided to move from Long Island to Nacog-doches. I had never even heard of Nacogdoches until my partner transferred from our art school in New York to SFA in order to major in forestry. We didn’t expect to make Nacogdoches our home, planning to stay only long enough for him to finish his degree and then immediately escape back north.

Life can play some funny tricks on you. Six years later, I’m still in Nacogdoches. My partner finished his bachelor’s and his master’s and is now working for an environmental agency in town. As for me, I’ve been on the SFA campus for the last four years – first as a librar-ian at the Ralph W. Steen Library, and now as the re-search development specialist in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. While my life here has been full of surprises, the biggest is realizing how much I’ve come to love Nacogdoches.

When I first moved to Texas, I hated it. I’m a vege-tarian who loves restaurants. I don’t know if you’ve driv-en down North Street lately, but it’s not exactly vegetar-ian friendly. I desperately missed my friends and family back in New York. And to top it off, Nacogdoches was boring. If you weren’t in college or retired, I concluded, there was absolutely nothing to do.

At this point, you’re probably wondering why I’m still here. Those of you who graduated from SFA or have spent any time on campus will not be surprised by my answer: This community grows on you. Through my job in the library, I was suddenly a part of something larg-er than myself. I got to know my colleagues and made friends across campus. I was part of a community, and home no longer seemed so far away.

There was a time when I saw the small size of Na-cogdoches as something to overcome. Since then, I’ve realized the possibilities that a tight-knit community can present. In addition to being a staff member at SFA, I’ve also been able to take graduate-level classes in the English department through the Employee Scholarship Program. For the last two years, I’ve hosted a literary reading series at Morning Glory Yoga Studios, located

downtown on Main Street, which regularly draws a sup-portive crowd of SFA English students and faculty. I’ve written book reviews for local magazines. I attend nearly every art opening at the Cole Art Center (and not just for the free wine!). I played roller derby for the Nacogdo-ches Rollergirls and found a core group of friends that I will have for life, even though I’ve since moved on to running, competing in marathons as well as local 5Ks to benefit everything from the SFA Department of Ki-nesiology and Health Science to autistic children to the Nacogdoches Animal Shelter.

Because Nacogdoches and SFA have given me so much, I’m excited for the opportunity to return the fa-vor through my new position in ORSP. My department’s mission is to assist faculty and staff in the researching, writing and submission of grant proposals so that they can obtain the funds needed for the important research, projects and programs that contribute both to their field and to the university community. My main duties involve working closely with faculty in general, and SFA’s vari-ous research centers in particular, to identify grant op-portunities. Grant funding is important because research and sponsored activities promote the mission of SFA, provide more chances for student learning and involve-ment, and help faculty accomplish professional goals for tenure and promotion. I believe these causes are impor-tant, and I’m grateful for the chance to help the university achieve its goals.

When I left New York, I assumed my life would be smaller for a while – less di-versity, less culture and fewer experiences. What I found instead was a town, campus and community that offer a fuller life than I ever thought possible, made all the more magical for its unexpected surprises. ✯

Christine HennesseyResearch Development

Specialist

By Christine Hennessey

Transplanted New Yorker finds niche in Nac

Vista Viewpoint

Sawdust16

17Spring 2011

IF YOU’RE AT SFA early enough, you may see them lining up for phys-ical training at 6 a.m. three days a week. As you stroll through the aza-lea garden, you might stop to watch them rappel down their training tow-er. You’ve probably heard them fir-ing a cannon in the end zone when the Lumberjack football team scores. And around campus, you can’t help but notice their distinctive camou-flage uniforms.

They are the members of the 115-cadet-strong Lumberjack Bat-talion, the university’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program, which was started in 1968 and is now experiencing the largest growth in its history. Each semester, on the eve of SFA’s commencement exer-cises, the battalion’s graduating se-niors are commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army, U.S. Army Reserve or National Guard and begin a career of leadership and service to their country.

“Our growth is a testament to the quality of young men and wom-en who choose to serve as Army of-ficers in this time of great national need,” said. Lt. Col. Todd Reichert, SFA military science professor. “We are extremely proud of our cadets as they carry on the legacy of outstand-ing service established by all those Lumberjacks who have served be-fore them.”

Lumberjack Battalion prepares future officers for military service >

By Amy Roquemore

Sawdust18

Since the bat-talion’s creation dur-ing the height of the Vietnam War, SFA has commissioned 538 officers who have served in every major U.S. military conflict, including the ongoing wars in Iraq and Af-ghanistan. The cadets’ training and educa-tion requirements are defined by the U.S. Army and overseen by a cadre of combat-experienced faculty members.

While pursuing their bachelor’s degree at SFA, ROTC students must abide by a strict code of conduct, meet a high academic standard and attend required military training ex-ercises, both during the week and on some weekends, according to battal-ion commander Jacob Kelly, a crim-inal justice major from Douglass who will be commissioned when he graduates in May.

“To be a cadet in the Lumber-jack Battalion while you are making good grades in school and possibly holding down a part-time job, you have to really be motivated and fo-cused,” he said.

“That said, the cadre is con-stantly reinforcing to us that we are here first and foremost to get a col-

lege degree. We have driven people back a day early from weekend training so they could study for a test. School always comes first.”

Last fall, the Lumberjack Bat-talion hosted the first reunion of SFA ROTC cadets in its 43-year history. Among the attendees were James Britton and Ed Hander, the first two officers commissioned at SFA in 1969. Both noted the pride they felt upon returning to campus and seeing how the program has grown along with the university in the intervening years.

“I was extremely impressed with the current cadets,” said Brit-ton, a Vietnam veteran. “Those guys are a lot sharper than we were. Their training, far superior. They were as physically fit and knowledgeable

19Spring 2011

and well-spoken as any West Point-ers I’ve ever been around.”

ROTC cadets may pursue any degree they choose at SFA, but criminal justice, political science and nursing are among the most common majors. The majority of cadets minor in military science.

There are 238 college ROTC programs across the country, but SFA’s wooded surroundings give its cadets a training advantage.

“Most schools don’t have ac-cess to a forested area right across the street like we have at SFA,” said first platoon leader Danielle Shaf-fer, a senior psychology major from Copperas Cove who plans to pursue a career in military intelligence.

“We are able to conduct very advanced land-navigation training exercises both on campus and on nearby land such as the SFA Ex-perimental Forest, and that is a great benefit.”

Shaffer added that SFA cadets’ extensive land-navigation training helps them stand out among other ROTC students at the month-long Leadership and Development As-sessment Course held each summer at Fort Lewis, Wash. The goal of the course is to evaluate the knowledge cadets have gained during their first three years in ROTC.

There are numerous scholarship opportunities available to ROTC ca-dets, and all juniors and seniors in the Lumberjack Battalion currently have their tuition paid in full by the U.S. Army.

“That is a prime example of the commitment the Army is making to training its next generation of lead-ers,” Reichert said. “The Army needs a diverse, well-educated officer corps, and it’s our job to ensure we provide our cadets with the proper training and education to fill that need.” ✯

ROTC cadets participate in various training activities in the forested areas on and around the SFA campus, including rappelling and paint-gun exercises.

–Lumberjack Battalion motto

Sawdust20

STMICROELECTRONICS IS A world leader in providing semicon-ductor solutions that improve the environment by reducing energy consumption in home and industrial usage. The company is also improv-ing the educational environment at Stephen F. Austin State University through its support of the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Ag-riculture.

Growing pine trees sequesters carbon from the atmosphere and

helps companies establish a carbon-neutral “footprint.” STMicroelec-tronics has donated 3,449 acres of East Texas land to SFA as a part of its global reforestation efforts.

“The project has currently se-questered approximately 140,000 tons of CO2, which potentially off-sets the CO2 from burning nearly 17 million gallons of gasoline,” said Dr. Steve Bullard, dean of the college.

The land provides an outdoor laboratory for research and teach-ing in forest management, wildlife management, hydrology and other subdisciplines of forestry and envi-ronmental science.

“Ownership of the property allows for implementation of long-term studies, without concerns for the properties being sold or access issues due to changing ownership or ownership objectives,” Bullard explained.

The Robert L. Banks – STMi-croelectronics Forestry and Environ-mental Science Scholarship was es-tablished in 2010, and a permanent endowment by the company will enhance the research activities of SFA’s Forest Resources Institute and will support research projects, grad-

uate assistantships and fellowships.“The ST properties have gen-

erated approximately $11,000 per year in annual income from wildlife leases,” Bullard said. “We predict that timber revenues will begin with pine plantation thinning in 2014, followed by harvest of larger trees around the year 2020.”

The property also provides out-reach opportunities, including con-tinuing education for landowners and professionals in forestry, wild-life and environmental science.

STMicroelectronics is a leader in production of semiconductors for industrial applications, inkjet print-heads, Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems for portable and consumer devices, smartcard chips, automo-tive integrated circuits, and comput-er peripherals. The company holds more than 20,000 patents and has approximately 53,000 employees, 15 main manufacturing sites, and advanced research and development centers in 10 countries.

The company has received more than 100 corporate responsi-bility awards for excellence in cor-porate governance, social issues and environmental protection. ✯

Forestry donation helps environment, funds researchBy Shirley Luna

STMicroelectronics has donated

thousands of acres of East Texas land to SFA

as part of its global reforestation efforts.

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East Texas native Robert L. Banks,

retired from STMicroelectronics,

was instrumental in establishing the gift

of property to SFA.

21Spring 2011

SFA softball players participated in intense leadership training last fall at a combat-training facility outside Nacogdoches. The women hope the team-building experience will help them take their game to the next level. >

Sawdust22

SFA HEAD SOFTBALL coach Gay McNutt was looking for answers after the 2009 season. Her team had entered the year picked to win the Southland Conference title. The Ladyjacks had

all the talent they needed, as evidenced by their six All-Southland honors. But they fell short of the preseason projections and their own ultimate goal, finishing fourth in the league and bowing out of the Southland tourna-ment in the second round.

McNutt’s debut season had finished with a flourish. The 2008 Ladyjacks qualified for the Southland Tourna-ment for the first time in 18 years, then plowed through the competition for three straight wins to earn the pro-

gram’s first NCAA Championship bid.

So when the 2009 campaign ended in disappointment, the coach wanted to know what she could do to keep it from happen-ing again. Enter Combat Shooting and Tactics.

CSAT is a training facil-ity just south of Nacogdoches that provides advanced tacti-cal instruction for groups likely to encounter combat situations. The operation is owned by Paul Howe, a retired master sergeant with more than 20 years’ service in the U.S. Army, including time spent as both an operator and in-structor in special forces. Howe’s clients run the gamut from law enforcement to military and gov-ernment agencies to civilians and – for the past three years – SFA athletes.

In early 2008, Howe was introduced to former Ladyjack

soccer coach George Van Linder, who had been search-ing for a preseason retreat for his team. After reading Howe’s book Training for the Fight, he knew his team could benefit from the training CSAT had to offer.

Howe and CSAT instructor Eric Corley put together a team-building program that would push the partici-pants to their limits, both physically and mentally. Van Linder and his staff were blown away by the results and began to spread the word among SFA coaches. The fol-lowing spring, McNutt remembered the rave reviews and decided to give it a try herself.

“Coach came to us and said, ‘Last year we made it this far on raw talent, but we im-ploded at the end and couldn’t fin-ish,’” Corley remembers. “They were looking for something that would help keep their focus and finish the fight.”

Howe and Corley put togeth-er a weekend visit for the softball team similar to the training they’d put the soccer squad through. The curriculum included classroom sessions followed by field tests. There was field first-aid training with simulated emergency re-sponse situations, obstacle course competitions both as individuals and in small groups, as well as firearms training and competition.

23Spring 2011

The Ladyjacks would go on to post a 28-18 overall record and win a share of the program’s first-ever South-land title. The regular season was capped by a dramatic series win over co-champion and perennial league power Texas State that saw the Ladyjacks come from behind twice, winning on walk-off home runs both times.

“Before, when we’ve played Texas State, for what-ever reason, we would kind of give in a little bit and not be as tough mentally as we need to be against teams like that,” McNutt said. “Last year when we played them, we had more of a warrior mindset, and we never gave in.”

McNutt attributes that mindset directly to the train-ing and bonding her team un-derwent at CSAT, where the training is designed to help the players learn about themselves and their limits.

“A lot of it is testing where their heart is,” Corley said. “Because they’re collegiate athletes, you’re not going to break them down physically.”

“You can see everyone’s weaknesses and strengths,” McNutt said. “They find out for themselves what their weaknesses are and what they need to work on.”

After another early exit from the 2010 Southland Tournament, the thing McNutt decided to work on for

2011 was leadership.This year’s training divided the team into small

groups, each with its own leader. These individuals at-tended a pre-training leadership session the night before the rest of the team began training.

“It started out being a team-building concept,” she said. “It’s evolved into much more than that. This

time we focused on leadership training. We’ve seen our strong leaders step out

and start to actually lead and guide the way they should.”

SFA was again picked in preseason polling to win the Southland Conference cham-pionship. It remains to be seen whether the newfound leadership will be enough to carry the team through to that goal. Either way, what the La-

dyjacks have gained from their unique training will stick with

them long after their softball days are done.

“They’re learning team tactics and team techniques, but they’re also

learning things as individuals that will help them the rest of their lives,” Corley said.

“It’s been one of the most important and vital pro-cesses that we go through in our program, and I’d rec-ommend this to anybody,” McNutt said of the training. “They’ve done an amazing job for us.” ✯

“A lot of it is testing where their heart is.”

Sawdust24

By Kayli Steger

Orientation and Mobility program trains studentsto work with blind and visually impaired

25Spring 2011

By Kayli Steger

Orientation and Mobility program trains studentsto work with blind and visually impaired

Sawdust26

ON ANY GIVEN day on campus, students hear the Stephen F. Austin fountain bubbling and

the voices of co-eds congregating on the quad. They feel the crunch of pine straw beneath their feet and smell the aroma of foods being prepared in the student center food court.

Though these sensations go un-noticed by most, hearing and other senses are critical tools for the blind and visually impaired navigating an unfamiliar environment.

For almost four decades, SFA’s Orientation and Mobility program has trained students to teach people who are blind or visually impaired, enabling them to lead more inde-pendent lives.

Students use techniques such as locating landmarks and listening to traffic sounds to safely travel to their destination. The many training exercises include planning routes to specific destinations, using public

transportation and soliciting public assistance when necessary. A long cane is the standard navigation tool used in the program, although guide dogs and low-vision technology also are used.

Through the pitch-black dark-ness of special blindfolds, students get a sense of what life is like for the nation’s 1.3 million legally blind. The techniques the O&M students learn, such as using systematic long-cane procedures along a sidewalk to find curbs or obstructions that may hinder their path, help them under-stand the challenging environment that they will soon help their stu-dents manage.

“Explaining basic concepts such as shape, texture and color be-comes a challenge,” said Elizabeth Desart, a Conroe junior in her first year of the program. “Doing the blindfold exercise makes you so thankful that it can be taken off at the end of the day. For the students we teach, that’s not the case.”

Together with the university’s Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments program, the O&M program is helping meet the grow-ing demand for vision profession-als across the country. The program recently was re-awarded a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education and has received fund-ing from the Rehabilitation Services Administration for four decades.

The O&M program is one of eight in the nation and one of only four to offer undergraduate train-ing. Each year, the SFA programs produce 11 percent of the nation’s Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists and 14 percent of the nation’s certified Teachers of Stu-dents with Visual Impairments. An estimated 10,000 professionals are needed in each field. While there is

currently a shortage of vision pro-fessionals, the number of people with visual impairments continues to rise by 3 percent annually.

Faculty members like Barry Stafford, a program alumnus, are working to prepare students to enter the workforce. Like the stu-dents he teaches, Stafford entered the field to make a difference in the lives of those who are blind or vi-sually impaired.

“I had always wanted to work with people who were blind or visu-

ally impaired, but I wasn’t sure how to go about it,” he said.

“Someone handed me a bro-chure with a three-sentence para-graph about Orientation and Mobil-ity, and I read it and said, ‘That’s what I want to do’ – outside, one-on-one, working with people and making a difference.”

Many of the SFA program’s of-ferings are online, making it conve-nient for non-traditional students to study remotely. Many already are working as special education pro-fessionals in school districts around the state.

O&M students benefit from an intimate, hands-on educational ex-perience. But the care and concern faculty members possess doesn’t

Through the pitch-black darkness of special

blindfolds, students get a sense of what life is

like for the nation’s 1.3 million legally blind.

SFA O&M students recently traveled to Shreveport, La., to

practice mobility skills in an urban

setting.

27Spring 2011

stop when they leave the classroom. Dr. Dixie Mercer, professor, cur-rently is training three SFA students recently affected by visual impair-ments or blindness, teaching them Braille and independence skills such as grocery shopping and cooking.

SFA’s Office of Disability Ser-vices also utilizes O&M students to help university students with

disabilities navigate campus and become familiar with their sur-roundings. SFA students with visual impairments also are enrolled in the O&M program, providing an oppor-tunity for others in the class to draw from their personal experiences.

O&M students have the oppor-tunity to train children who are visu-ally impaired or blind during Camp Independence, a summer camp de-signed to give kids a fun outdoor ex-perience. Kids learn new skills like canoeing and cooking, while O&M students familiarize themselves with the challenges and rewards of teaching in the field.

For many students in the close-knit O&M cohort, the decision to study at SFA was directly impacted

by profession-als in the field. Desart’s mother participated in the program,

and classmate Elizabeth Coulson is a third-generation vision professional. Both her mother and grandmother are teachers of the visually impaired.

The profession also runs in Yolanda Smith’s family. In the early ’70s, her father received in-service training from Bob Bryant, the SFA program’s founder, and he

later enrolled in the Western Michi-gan O&M program to complete his master’s degree. Thirty years later, Smith moved her family from Ala-bama to Nacogdoches to follow in her father’s footsteps.

“I like helping people, and the preparation, skills and techniques that are being taught in the class-room are life-changing tools that one can use to become more inde-pendent and mobile in any environ-ment,” Smith said.

Graduates of the program work in a variety of settings helping peo-ple in all stages of life, including school children, seniors and veter-ans in need of visual care.

After graduation, Smith hopes to work in a veteran’s hospital, help-

ing the elderly or wounded service-men and servicewomen regain their independence.

“It is an amazing and mean-ingful task to be able to teach and train a person who is blind or visu-ally impaired,” Smith said. “It is an awesome thing, to be able to give a person back a little confidence in his or her life.” ✯

The O&M program is one of eight

in the nation and one of only four

to offer undergraduate training.

To help people with visual impairments, many on-

campus accommodations have been implemented,

including audible crosswalk signals and textured

sidewalks to assist cane users at traffic intersections.

The newly installed crosswalk signals feature a

countdown by an automated voice, and each crosswalk

features a distinct octave denoting which intersection

is being crossed.

O&M student Lori Graham works with Brownsboro High School student Casey Heath during her student teaching hours, assisting him and others in navigating the school setting.

Sawdust28

HISTORY SEEMS TO be repeating itself. On Oct. 4, 1957, Sputnik became the first artificial

satellite to orbit Earth. Not only was this a groundbreak-ing feat for the Soviet Union, it was also an important defeat for America, which had lost the race to space.

Today, America is falling behind Asian countries in math and science rankings. According to Bloomberg, 15-year-olds in the United States ranked 25th among peers from 34 countries on the Program for Interna-tional Student Assessment, while China’s Shangai fin-ished at the top.

“This is totally unac-ceptable in a technology-oriented country,” said Dr. John Moore, SFA profes-sor of chemistry.

To answer a national call for education reform, SFA recently has devel-oped the STEM Research and Learning Center. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“Through the center, SFA faculty will have the opportunity to further con-tribute to the knowledge and research base within the STEM disciplines and to engage in various out-reach and recruitment ef-forts designed to encour-age students to choose STEM majors and prepare to enter STEM careers,” said Dr. Kimberly Childs, ex-ecutive director of the STEM Research and Learning Center and interim dean of SFA’s College of Sciences and Mathematics.

“Additionally, it is the intent of the College of Sci-ences and Mathematics to engage in cross-disciplinary efforts both within the college and across the SFA cam-pus.”

Only three of the Princeton Review’s current top 10 college majors are categorized as science, technology, engineering or mathematics. Nursing ranks third; biol-ogy, fourth; and information technology, 10th.

The September 2010 report by the President’s Coun-cil of Advisers on Science and Technology stated that

“STEM education will determine whether the United States will remain a leader among nations and whether we will be able to solve immense challenges in such ar-eas as energy, health, environmental protection and na-tional security.”

One of the ways SFA is promoting interdisciplinary education is through revised majors, including the Mas-

ter of Science in school mathematics teaching and the Master of Science in natural sciences.

However, before these majors can become attractive to students, America must “inspire a love for mathematics and the sciences at earlier ages,” said Dr. Lesa Bev-erly, mathematics coordi-nator of the STEM center and associate professor of mathematics. “We need to make success in scho-lastics as attractive to the next generation as suc-cess in sports.”

SFA’s planetarium, which is frequently vis-ited by elementary school students, now will serve double-duty as a recruit-ing tool. There also are tentative plans for SFA to host a science week-end to attract school-age children to campus and to sponsor an undergraduate research symposium with

students from other universities. “The name of the game is collaboration, whether

within one’s own school or with another university,” Moore said.

With such emphasis on STEM education and ca-reers, SFA is not only responding to a national need but also continually improving its own disciplinary curricula.

“After Sputnik, we realized we were behind as a na-tion. Precedent-shattering funding became available to better educate students in math and science and recruit students into STEM careers,” Childs said. “We are at Sputnik again; it’s that urgent. As a nation, we are called to rise up and provide leadership, and I think we are go-ing to do it through the STEM initiative.” ✯

New research center STEMs from national initiativeBy Nicole Hall

Daisy Troop 1812 leader Debbie Tanner and Jeeana Menefee, left, and Jasmine Payne recently attended STEM day at SFA for area Girl Scouts.

29Spring 2011

Alumni News

THE SFA ALUMNI Association has hired Houston native Dale Green ’99 as director of marketing and membership. He joined the staff in January.

Green received a bachelor’s degree in communication from SFA and will earn his Executive MBA from California State University-Sonoma in May.

Since graduating from SFA, Green has lived and worked in Tex-as, Indiana, Louisiana and Califor-nia and most recently served as vice president/director of training for a private professional development/corporate training firm in the North San Francisco Bay Area.

“My life has taken me in many directions, and I’m most excited about being back in Texas, especial-ly Nacogdoches,” he said.

“I’m very pleased to be serv-ing my fellow SFA alumni as direc-tor of marketing and membership

for the alumni association, and I look forward to meeting more Lumberjacks. What a great place to foster alumni relationships and get involved in the community while raising my family.”

Green is married to Missy Mi-chaels Green ’01. They have an 18-month-old son, Denver, and are expecting their second son in April. Green also wants to increase awareness of the value of member-ship in the SFA Alumni Association. He knows firsthand how easy it is to lose touch with the university after graduation. Although he was heav-ily involved on campus as a student, he didn’t make staying in contact with SFA a priority after gradua-tion. His school pride, however, re-mained strong.

“If you’re reading this and aren’t a member yet, join, join, join. Call us today. Tell ’em I sent ya! This is your Alumni Association.

Let’s come together and make this the most fun, exciting and reward-ing resource available to all SFA Alumni.”

Green also encourages alumni to come back to SFA for a visit.

“If you haven’t been back to campus in a while, come visit soon. Things have really changed. I am pleased to see the growth of our fine university and am proud to be an SFA alum. Axe ’em ’Jacks!” ✯

Alumni Association hires new marketing director

GREEN

SAWDUST RECEIVED FOUR awards at the Council for Advancement and Sup-port of Education’s recent District IV con-ference in New Orleans.

The magazine earned a Gold (first place) Award in the category of most-improved periodicals, as well as a Special Merit Award in the general university pe-riodical category.

In addition, artistic director Rhonda Crim-Tumelson earned a Silver (second place) Award in the magazine-design category for her three-page spread titled “Gossip Girl” that appeared in the spring 2010 issue. And Kayli Steger, marketing communications assistant in the Office of

Public Affairs, received a Special Merit Award for her feature on the SFA Bass Team in the fall 2010 issue.

CASE is the organization for ad-vancement professionals working in alumni relations, communications, fund-raising, marketing and related areas. Membership includes more than 3,400 colleges, universities, independent ele-mentary and secondary schools, and edu-cational associates in 61 countries around the world. SFA is part of CASE District IV, which encompasses Arkansas, Loui-siana, Mexico, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. ✯

Magazine wins awardsPublication recognized at district conference

I HOPE EVERYONE had a wonderful holiday season with their families and friends! I know 2011 will be an excit-

ing year, especially here at Stephen F. Austin State University. We are starting our second year as Southland Conference Champions – another reason to proudly wear our purple and white and prominently display the SFA letters.

I urge you to continue to support and promote SFA in your community so that we continue to bring new Lumberjacks into the fold. We have so much to be proud of here at the university, which makes it easy to discuss SFA with bright students in your area.

The Alumni Association team wants you to keep “priority one” on your mind because each of us can make a difference in some-one’s life through scholarships, donations, mentoring or just donating our time. Become a lifetime member of the Stephen F. Austin State University Alumni Association today and get involved! You can make a difference.

The Alumni Association is always here to serve you. Call me or the alumni staff any-time – or just stop by the Pearman Alumni Center – if we can be of any assistance. May God bless you, yours and our SFA family in the upcoming year. Axe ’em ’Jacks!

Chuck Tomberlain ’84903.445.2943

From the Association

Chuck Tomberlain ’84President, SFA Alumni

Association

SFA ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONOFFICERS

Chuck Tomberlain ’84 - presidentCurtis Sparks ’85 - president-electMike Harbordt ’63 - past president

ASSOCIATION BOARDWendy Buchanan ’85

Don Cox ’71 & ’76Robin Dawley ’77Ryan Emmons ’03

Karen Gantt ’95Doris Havard

James Hawkins ’83Kent Hutchison ’92David Madrid ’02Justin McFail ’04

Susan Roberds ’75Roger Robinson ’92Phillip Scherrer ’99Steve Whitbeck ’75

Chris Woelfel ’95

Student Foundation AssociationDustin Willis ’11

SFA ALUMNI FOUNDATION GOVERNORS

Mike Harbordt ’63 - chairmanBrad Bays ’91

Lewie Byers ’68Ford Cartwright ’69

Shirley Crawford ’58 & ’70James Hamilton ’77

Andy Mills ’91Bill Roberds ’75

Chuck Tomberlain ’84

SFA ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONSTAFF

Jeff Davis ’02executive director of alumni affairs

(fund-raising)

Mitzi Blackburndirector of alumni activities

(activities & events)

Katy Crawfordassistant to the executive director

of alumni affairs(operations)

Rhonda Crim-Tumelsondirector of alumni publications

Dale Green ’99director of marketing & membership

Emily Payne ’99 & ’01chapter coordinator

Beverly Smith ’96accountant

(finance)

Alicia Roland Chatmangifts & records specialist

Mo Davis ’09scholarship coordinator

I urge you to continue to support and promote SFA in your community so that we continue to bring new Lumberjacks into the fold.

Sawdust32

THROUGHOUT HIS CHILDHOOD, teenage and col-lege years, Brian Elliott ’05 & ’09 lived his life with unwavering enthusiasm. That steadfast spirit recently brought him to Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation in Mon-tana where he is working as the nutritionist for the Chip-pewa Cree tribe.

The 27-year-old Hurst native holds both a bach-elor’s degree in nursing and a mas-ter’s degree in di-etetics from SFA. Working primarily with the reserva-tion’s diabetes pro-gram, he has been instrumental in the reorganization of Rocky Boy’s well-ness center and the creation of group exercise classes.

“All my nu-trition classes and internships were vital to gaining the knowledge needed to effectively coun-sel people and offer nutrition advice,” said Elliott, who has a long-held interest in Native American culture. “My nursing degree has been benefi-cial in understand-ing the (diabetes) disease processes better and how the body works.”

Using the education and hands-on training he re-ceived at SFA, Elliott is developing a fitness program for the reservation’s wellness center and plans to teach circuit training, boot camp, yoga and swimming, as well as provide personal training. In the future, he aims to add more classes, including sports and triathlon training, plyometrics, soccer, jump rope, and kettle bell.

“Attending health and fitness classes, being a per-sonal trainer, designing effective fitness programs, and the working experience gained at the SFA Recreation

Center have all played a tremendous role in my under-standing of the wellness center’s inner workings and how to design, organize and teach group exercise classes.”

Elliott seems to have been born with a deep-rooted fervor for life, especially in the areas of health, fitness

and faith.“I want to

help and inspire people to improve their lives by living healthier,” Elliott said. “My desire is to achieve a career that honors and glo-rifies God, which also allows me to assist numerous in-dividuals in making healthy choices and provide for my own family someday.”

Before travel-ing to Montana to energize the reser-vation’s wellness center, Elliott bicy-cled across America to raise money for Venture Expedi-tions’ Blood:Water Mission, a charity that raises funds to build water wells and medical clinics and improve sanita-tion in Kenya, Af-rica. Blood:Water Mission opened the doors for Elliott to participate in other charity fundraisers that have taken him

to Thailand and Turkey.The miles Elliott has accumulated while training for

marathons prepared him well for his cross-country bik-ing expeditions, he said. “Many people say that I have more miles on my legs than on my car.”

Growing up, Elliott dreamed of running a marathon, but he never thought he would be able to achieve that goal. However, he was inspired to begin training by a fellow camp counselor who shared her marathon-run-ning experiences with him. In January 2005, Elliott ran

“I want to help and inspire people to improve their lives by living healthier.”

Brian Elliott ’05 & ’09 is the

nutritionist for the Chippewa Cree

tribe at Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation

in Montana.

Photos courtesy of Zach White and Brian Elliott

33Spring 2011

his first marathon in Houston. “I loved the experience of run-

ning the marathon and did a lot better than I expected, so the next month I ran the Cowtown Mara-thon in Forth Worth,” Elliott said. “I continue running marathons and have set a goal for myself to run at least one marathon in every state.”

So far, Elliott has completed marathons in 12 states, including the Boston Marathon in 2009.

“I believe that a meaningful life is living it to its fullest, pas-sionately maximizing our potential to achieve excellence for humanity that will last for eternity,” Elliott said. “I love encouraging people to live a holy and righteous life with love, care, kindness, compassion, conviction and courage to strive for something bigger than themselves.”

The traits that he tries to instill in others are also what brought him to Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation, located just 40 miles south of the Canadian border. However, before Elliott made the nearly 2,000-mile trip to Montana, he never anticipated the cli-mate shock that would result from his move from Texas. He had expected cold temperatures and snow during the winter months. But all his run-ning and cycling did not prepare him for the minus-50-degree temperatures or the loneliness of the re-mote location.

“I struggle and deal with lots of challenges just

like everyone else. I just make a choice to learn from obstacles and grow closer to God through them,” Elliott said. “I try to always keep a positive mindset by looking at the positives in every situation and re-lying on God to help me overcome the negatives.”

Elliott fuels his passion for helping others achieve better health by regularly feeding his own adven-turer’s soul, taking mission trips to share his faith, running marathons and ultra-marathons, and partici-pating in triathlons and other ultra-endurance events.

“I am motivated by the desire to live a fulfilling and productive life, so that when I am old I can look back and know that I lived a life worth living, a life that helped and inspired others, a life glorifying and honoring to God, a life worth telling my grandchildren stories about, and a life not wasted.” ✯

began running in 5Ks and 10Ks benefitting various

charities, along with other fundraisers such as Jump Rope

for Heart, in elementary school.

says his very first bike was a Huffy. Since his first year at SFA, he has owned more than 10 bikes.

helped his team raise more than $100,000 for Blood:Water Mission to build water wells

and a medical clinic and improve sanitation in Kenya, Africa, during the summer of 2009. While participating in the mission, he biked approximately 3,500 miles across the nation during a 60-day period.

has bicycled a 50K, run 75 miles in the mountains of Montana and summitted a 14,000-foot peak in Colorado.

completed an Ironman Triathlon, a one-day endurance event. Participants swim for 2.4 miles, bike for 112 miles and run for

26.2 miles.

runs marathons wearing a Batman costume to make the race more fun for himself and the spectators.

BRIAN ELLIOTT:

Sawdust34

LIKE MANY YOUNG boys in Texas, Jason Anderson’s early career aspirations developed while he watched Monday Night Football. An-derson, however, was not dreaming of a future

as a professional football player; it was the opening seg-ment of the broadcast that caught his attention.

“At that time, the show started with the director in the control room counting down to the broadcast,” An-derson ’85 explained. “The director was sitting in front of a bank of monitors with a headset on, and he would say, ‘three, two, one…TAKE TAPE!’ And the famous Monday night theme song would start. I thought that was the coolest thing I had ever seen.”

But Anderson was a middle-class kid from Waxa-hachie, Texas, with no contacts and no connections, so it seemed a career in television was a world away. Then, when he was a high school junior, Anderson got his first big break: Bob Phillips, host of the television program Texas Country Reporter, moved to town.

“I introduced myself at church and told him I want-ed to work in television. I bugged him long enough that

I talked him into taking me to the station where he worked, KDFW-TV in Dallas.”

A n d e r s o n began volunteer-ing at the station – doing anything they would let him do – and in-terned there while he was a radio/television student at SFA.

“After I grad-uated from SFA in 1985, KDFW hired me as news producer. I pro-duced the 6 a.m. and noon news in the sixth largest

market in America, but I had to be at work at 3 every morning!”

At 22, Anderson was promoted to producer of the 10 p.m. newscast, but when his old friend called with a job opportunity at Phillips Productions, Anderson left the broadcast news business and went to work as a pro-ducer of the Texas Country Reporter television show. Now vice president, senior producer and creative direc-tor for Phillips Productions, Anderson has earned nine Emmy Awards and dozens of other regional and national awards for film and video production. He said working for two years as news director of SFA’s radio station KSAU helped launch his career.

“Dr. Joe Oliver was in charge of the station, and he gave us the freedom to do anything we wanted, as long as it was done well and with professionalism,” he recalled. “We did live remotes, baseball and basketball play-by-play, and live breaking news.”

The radio station subscribed to the Texas State Net-work for the statewide news it broadcast, and in return, the students sent radio news packages to the network.

“I interviewed everybody who came to campus from Gov. Mark White to George Strait and even G. Gordon Liddy. All the rock stars who came to town worked with us doing station promos. It was a blast, and we thought we were really something! SFA totally prepared me to work in television because I learned what news was, how to handle it, how to write it, and how to work with VIPs.”

Working with Texas Country Reporter for nearly 25 years has given Anderson the opportunity to travel every square mile of Texas, meeting and interviewing interest-ing and sometimes eccentric people. But that is only part of his job description.

“While we are most known for Texas Country Re-porter, Phillips Productions is a full-service production company, public relations firm and advertising agency,” he explained. “We specialize in corporate image films, commercials and documentaries. That aspect of the com-pany has allowed me to travel the world for companies like American Airlines, Neiman-Marcus, and hotels and resorts around the world.”

Anderson has worked with both Bush presidents, three Texas governors and one U.S. ambassador; media trained CEOs of multi-billion-dollar corporations; and

Emmy-winning television producer brings expertise to alma mater

“and. . .Action!”By Shirley Luna

ANDERSON

35Spring 2011

interviewed “nearly everyone” in the country music in-dustry. He is a member of the board of governors for the Lone Star Emmy Chapter and is one of two national trustees who represent Texas on the board of trustees for the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which awards the Daytime Emmy Awards.

“The great thing is, it’s impossible to know what’s next. On any given day the phone could ring, and you just never know what adventure that call could bring,” Anderson said.

Phillips Productions recently was selected to pro-duce a commercial and orientation video for SFA, and Anderson said he was excited to return to campus.

“I hope my passion for SFA comes across in the fi-nal products,” he said. “SFA is so much a part of who I am both professionally and personally, and I am truly honored for our company to be selected for these proj-ects. Plus, I am so impressed by the changes the school has made since I left – it makes me want to come back and be a student again.”

Anderson is one of five Emmy Award-winning writers on the Phillips Productions staff, and as senior producer, he approves all scripts for Texas Country Re-porter. But the story that stands out as most memorable doesn’t involve a celebrity or high-powered political fig-ure. It is a story of a football team – not one of the peren-nial Texas powerhouses – but a six-man football team from Blackwell, a tiny town south of Abilene.

“We did a story during a season when the team consisted of only six boys,” Anderson explained. “This meant every boy played every down of every game – offense and defense. No resting, no injuries. The sheer determination of those kids was very inspiring to me. Their games were an incredible display of passion and the human spirit. And that is what Texas Country Re-porter is really all about. It’s not about small towns or unusual people. It’s been a four-decade celebration of the human spirit.” ✯

“The great thing is, it’s impossible to know what’s next. On any given day the phone could ring, and you just never know what adventure that call could bring.”

Anderson gives instruction to SFA Charter School students appearing in an SFA commercial he produced in fall 2009.

Sawdust36

Become a memberof the Stephen F. Austin State University Alumni Association, and you’ll receive all

four issues of Sawdust during the year. Reading Sawdust is a great way to keep

up with SFA activities, news and events.

Your membership dues also help provide scholarships for SFA students and fund

alumni events like homecoming weekend, tailgate parties and chapter activities.

Rediscover the Lumberjack Experience by becoming a member of the SFA Alumni

Association. Find the full list of membership benefits at www.sfaalumni.com.

Join online atwww.sfaalumni.com

or call1-800-765-1534

*Times and dates are subject to change. Visit www. sfaalumni.com for the most recent information.

Upcoming Events

MARCH22-23 SFA Ring Sales

Event, Tracie Pearman Alumni Center

24 SFA Houston Chapter Happy Hour, Sherlock’s Baker St. Pub

26 Showcase Saturday

29 Nacogdoches Chapter after-work social gathering, Casa Tomás

14 Nacogdoches Chap-ter networking lunch, Hotel Fredonia

21 University closes for Easter break

27 Alumni Foundation board meeting

28 Nacogdoches Chap-ter after-work social gathering at Texas Bar & Grill, Motel 6

29 Scholarship Donor Reception, Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House

Alumni Association board meeting

30 SFA Football Spring Scrimmage

Student Foundation Mud Bugs & Mud Balls

Dallas Chapter Craw-fish Boil, Plano

2 SFA Tyler Golf Tour-nament, Hollytree Country Club

3 Senior Send-off, Sports Shack

12 Nacogdoches Chap-ter networking lunch, Delacroix’s

11 SFA Band Scholarship Golf Tournament, Eagles Bluff Golf Course

24 Alumni Association board meeting

27 Alumni Foundation board meeting

14 SFA Graduation

20 Nacogdoches Chap-ter after-work social gathering, Lug Nutz

21 SFA Day at the Dallas Zoo

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

37Spring 2011

1 SFA Spirit Teams Nationals Showcase, William R. Johnson Coliseum

7 Dallas Chapter Stars vs. Avalanche, Ameri-can Airlines Center

6 Big Dip Ring Ceremony, Grand Ballroom, Baker Pattillo Student Center

6-8 TKE Nu Xi Chapter 40th Anniversary Weekend

6 Summer I classes begin

Find more chapter events online at www.sfaalumni.com

Sawdust38

The Charles Stokes Liberal Arts Scholarship

The Charles Stokes Liberal Arts Scholarship benefits a graduating senior from Nacogdoches High School with a grade-point average of at least 2.5. Students majoring in liberal arts or history receive first priority.

Stokes was born in Beaumont Dec. 26, 1947. He attended schools in Brownwood, Corsicana and Nacogdoches. Upon graduating from Nacogdoches High School, he attended SFA, majoring in his-tory. He assured everyone that he did not want to teach. Thankfully, he changed his mind and became a wonderful teacher, mentor and friend to many of his students. He would jokingly say that his goal in life was to educate the youth of America. With this scholarship endowment, he will continue to do so.

Stokes loved the outdoors. He traveled a great deal in the western and northwestern United States where he camped and studied the historical sites. He loved to hunt and fish and was an avid sportsman.

Make the decision to help secure educational opportunities for generations of future SFA students.Contact us to find out how to start creating your legacy today.

Stephen F. Austin State University Alumni Association P.O. Box 6096, SFA Station Nacogdoches, TX 75962-6096Phone: 936.468.3407 Toll Free: 800.765.1534 Fax: 936.468.1007E-mail: alumni@sfasu.edu Website: www.sfaalumni.com

The Dr. Dee Ann Story East Texas Archeology Scholarship

The Dr. Dee Ann Story East Texas Archeology Scholarship benefits an anthropology or archeology student with an interest in East Texas archeology who holds a grade-point average of at least 3.0.

Story attended Texas Woman’s University in Denton and received two degrees in anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin. She received a doctorate in anthropology from the University of California in 1963, becoming the first woman to graduate from that program. Story became assistant director for the Texas Archeological Salvage Project. She published many articles and monographs on Texas archeology, directing numerous major archeological and research projects in Texas. Her main field of research focused on the ancestral Caddo culture of East Texas.

Story won many awards but was particularly proud of her Curtis D. Tunnell Lifetime Achieve-ment Award, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas Archeological Society and the Betty Lee Wright Award for Democratic Leadership.

The Harold and Jean Pool Athletic Scholarship

The Harold and Jean Pool Athletic Scholarship benefits a qualified SFA student in the athletic department.

Harold and Jean Pool both graduated from Tyler High School and attended SFA. Harold Pool graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1949 and a Master of Education in 1969. While at SFA, he was a member of the football team in 1948 and 1949. He coached for 13 years and later worked in school administration. Jean Pool graduated from SFA with a Bachelor of Science in education in 1950 and was an SFA homecoming queen. She worked as an elementary teacher.

The couple enjoys raising cattle and traveling. They started this scholarship to help future SFA students obtain an education.

39Spring 2011

REGIONAL CHAPTERS

SPECIAL INTEREST CHAPTERSAfrican American NursingAgriculture ROTCInterior Design RugbyTau Kappa Epsilon To find your local SFA chapter, visit www.sfaalumni.com and click on chapters, or contact Emily Payne, chapter coordinator, at emilypayne816@yahoo.com or (800) 765-1534.

Brian ’01 and Emily Payne ’99 & ’01 attempt to wrangle their children for a holiday photo (without much cooperation from said children).

Stay connected. Get involved.

Have fun.Join a chapter!

Happy HoursNetworkingTailgating

Freshman Send-OffsService Projects

LuncheonsFamily Picnics

Golf Tournaments

Visit our websiteto find chapter events.www.sfaalumni.com

Austin Coastal BendDallas DenverHoustonLongview NacogdochesOhio

Oklahoma OregonSan Antonio SE TexasTarrant County Tyler Victoria

Finding Time for SFALIKE SO MANY of my fellow alumni, I have a CRAZY life these days! Between working and raising kids, I find little time for myself. Not that I’m complaining – I love my life, my family and my friends, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

As you are being pulled in multiple directions each day, squeezing alumni chapter in-volvement into your busy and hurried life may seem impossible. Your first thought is prob-ably something like: “I just don’t have time to be involved in one more thing!” or “Chapters sound like a great idea in theory, but I just don’t have the time to commit to extra activities right now.”

What you may not know is how much an alumni chapter can actually HELP YOU at the same time you are supporting your alma mater. Allow me to present the “three Ps”:

Personally– Alumni chapters are an easy way to keep in touch with friends you made at SFA. Facebook and LinkedIn are the two most popular networking sites our chapters use to stay connected. Join your chapter’s page and get updates on upcoming events in your area, as well as exciting happenings on SFA’s campus.

Professionally– With the downturn in the economy, networking has become even more important in the lives of many of our alumni. Being able to connect with others who have similar jobs or interests can open lines of communication that might lead to future employ-ment. And, if you already have a job you love, tell your fellow alumni about it! Attend the networking events and get to know others – maybe even someone in your line of work with whom you can share ideas.

Philanthropically– Giving back to our communities is a high priority for many SFA fami-lies. Often, our chapters join forces with events in local areas that benefit worthy causes. With fun runs, Relay For Life, March for Ba-bies, Keep Nacogdoches (or any other town) Beautiful, highway cleanups, etc. – there is no shortage of philanthropic opportunities for SFA alumni chapters.

As you can see, the personal, professional and philanthropic benefits of adding an alumni chapter to your plate – even though you are busy enough as it is – far outweigh the extra time commit-ment involved. We are so lucky to have alumni all over our great state, and we know that coming back to Nacogdoches on a regular basis can be difficult. I encourage you to connect with an alumni chapter today to stay connected with your alma mater throughout the year!

Alumni Chapters

Emily PayneChapter Coordinator

Sawdust40

1950The newly renovated Cushing ISD stadium and track recently was named in honor of Jerry Whita-ker ’58 of Cushing.

Dr. Ronald Davis ’59 of Dayton graduated from the University of Califor-nia-Irvine in 1963. He re-tired in 2000 after practic-ing medicine in Seabrook from 1964 to 1999.

1960Emmeline Dodd ’61 & ’65 of Houston was named “Outstanding Teacher” four times dur-ing her 39-year teaching career and is a recipient of The Kay Burnett Out-standing Friend of the Arts Award.

Dr. Len Hughes ’66 of Dallas practiced medi-cine for 20 years and was recently inducted into the Center High School Hall of Fame.

Nick A. Catoe Jr. ’69 of San A n t o n i o was ap-p o i n t e d associate

judge of the Fourth Admin-istrative Judicial Region sitting in San Antonio.

1970David King ’72 of Can-ton retired after serving as president of the American National Bank of Texas in Canton.

Benny Gowan ’74 & ’76 of Nacogdoches is a for-ester with Morris Timber Holdings in Bullard and serves on the board of di-rectors of the Texas For-estry Association.

Paulet te Williams ’74 of L i b e r t y C o u n t y taught for 25 years

and worked for the Re-publican Party in Cleve-

land’s past two election cycles. She serves as county clerk in Cleve-land.

Mike Ea-sley ’75 of Hous-ton is a co-found-ing share-holder of

accounting firm EEPB, which was named to INSIDE Public Account-ing’s Best of the Best Firms for 2010.

Mark Hinton ’75 of Dallas is the CEO of FC Background.

Bob Ped-dy ’75 of Tyler is a CPA and founding partner of G o l l o b ,

Morgan, Peddy and Co. in Tyler.

Susan Pool ’75 of Mar-

shall is an artist and mas-termind behind the “Art Party,” held each second Saturday in the Bradbury Building in Marshall.

John Cox ’76 of Nacog-doches is retired after working for the State of Texas for 35 years, 17 of those years at SFA.

Nora Jeannine Bleakney ’78 of Houston is a 2011 Peace Corps volunteer and will serve in Mexico as a university professor. She has spent the last 15 years in international education.

Mitch Fralick ’79 of Houston is a co-founder and president of Produc-ers Assistance Corpora-tion.

William Powell ’79 of Austin won gold in the 50-meter dash at the 2010 Texas Senior Games state meet and qualifies to compete in the 2011 Na-tional Senior Games.

Class Notes

Jason Isaac ’96 of Hays County was elected to represent District 45 in the Texas House of Representatives. Since gradu-ating from SFA, Isaac has worked to increase the efficiency and profitability of transportation companies while improving their safety records. Isaac’s work as a transportation consultant focusing on safety, compliance and operational efficiency improvements within the trucking industry – coupled with his involvement with the Texas Motor Transportation Association – has made him sensitive to the safety issues facing today’s traveler. He also owns and operates a sports-management business.

WILLIAMS

PEDDY

CATOE

Tom Spencer ’78 of Huntsville, longtime Texas Forest Service employee, was honored for his work in protecting residents across the state from wildfires. Spencer, the predictive services department head, received the designation of Regents Fellow by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents. Created in 1998, the Regents Fellow Service Award is designed to recog-nize employees who have made exemplary contribu-tions to their university or agency and to the people of Texas. Spencer joined the Texas Forest Service more than 30 years ago after graduating from SFA with a degree in forestry. He then spent the bulk of his career working as a district forester in East Texas. During his ten-ure, Spencer’s department has become a national leader in the field.

EASLEY

41Spring 2011

1980Michael Bieler ’80 of Dallas is the director of information technology for CSC Americas Out-sourcing.

Dean McMann ’80 of Hockley is a co-founder and CEO of McMann & Ransford in Sugar Land.

Tom Bar-ton ’82 of H o u s t o n is payment cards pro-gram man-ager for

Shell Oil Company.

S c o t t W a t s o n ’82, ’96 & ’01 of Dallas is vice presi-dent and

treasurer of Woodbine Development Corpora-tion.

John Tyler ’83 of Hous-ton is vice president of The Hulburd/Tyler Group of Merrill Lynch in Houton.

Vi n c e n t A d a m s ’88 of Fort Worth is a State Farm In-s u r a n c e

Agency owner.

John England ’89 of Houston is a managing partner with Deloitte & Touche.

Cindy King ’89 of West Columbia is interim city manager in Sweeny.

1990Alan E. George ’90 of Palestine is CEO of Pal-estine Regional Medi-cal Center and Palestine Regional Rehabilitation Hospital.

R e g i n a J u l i a n ’90 & ’03 of League City is a s p e e c h teacher at

College of the Mainland.

Stacie Shirley ’90 of Dallas is the senior vice president of finance and treasurer of The Neiman Marcus Group.

S F A A l u m n i Associa-tion Board M e m -ber Kent H u t c h i -

son ’92 of Nacogdoches is a corporate trainer for Etech.

B u r t H a i r -grove ’94 of Nacog-d o c h e s is direc-tor of the

George H. Henderson Jr. Exposition Center in Lufkin.

Scott Schmidly ’94 of Dallas is the COO and ethics compliance officer for Medical City Dallas and Medical City Chil-dren’s Hospital in Dallas.

Pikes of the ’60s

For the past six years, a group of SFA alumni has descended on the tiny Hill Country com-munity of Hext, Texas, (population 73) for three days of fellowship and tall tales. This “Pikes of the ’60s” celebration evolved from an initial gathering in 2004 in Nacog-doches of members of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity (Epsilon Omicron Chapter) initiated at SFA between 1960 and 1970. The following year, it was moved to the ranch of R. B. Pool ’69 on the Mason-Menard County line where it has been held annually ever since. The attendance has grown from 35 at the initial gathering to more than 70 attendees in 2010. Former Lumberjack athletes, dignitaries, professors, coaches and Navy SEALS have attended over the years to reminisce about the good old days at SFA, as well as their life experiences. This occasion allows all these former classmates to reconnect with old friends, recall memories from their days on campus and refresh their spirits. The typical reunion begins with a golf tournament at the Mason Country Club, fol-lowed by continual cooking and feasting on extraordinary concoctions prepared by Grill Master Gary Puckett ’69 and his cooking crew. Last year’s event marked the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Pi Kappa Alpha be-ing chartered at SFA in 1960. This year’s reunion will be held April 28 to May 1, and all Pikes of the ’60s are invited.

HAIRGROVE

WATSON

ADAMS

HUTCHISON

JULIAN

BARTON

Sawdust42

Kim and Mark Tilley ’95 of Austin announce the Oct. 27 birth of LulaMae Louise.

Chris Crawford ’96 & ’99 of Houston is execu-tive director of the con-sulting firm Longnecker & Associates, included on the list of Best Companies to Work for in Texas 2011.

Robert E. Hughes III ’96 of Huntington is a contract logging manager for Campbell Timberland Management in Diboll and is a board member of the Texas Forestry Asso-ciation.

Casey Randall ’97 of Leavenworth, Kan., cur-rently serves with the Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leav-enworth and has served in Iraq twice.

Sereniah B re l a n d ’99 of Go-liad is the city man-ager of Goliad.

Barbara Robinson ’99 of Cleburne, former Johnson County treasurer, founded Stroke Hopes, a support group in Johnson County for stroke survivors, their families and caregivers af-ter suffering from a stroke herself in 2009.

2000Amanda O ’ N e a l ’00 of Coppell is the chief operating

officer of the Metropoli-tan Anesthesia Consul-tants in Dallas.

Jennifer Stevens ’01 & ’08 of Lufkin is the direc-tor of marketing for the Woodland Heights Medi-cal Center.

Chad ’98 and Emily Smith ’06 of Houston announce the April 12, 2010, birth of twin sons Parker and Peyton.

Eric ’98 and Leslie Tipp ’99 of King-wood an-n o u n c e the Oct.

21 birth of daughter Car-oline Annagrace.

M i c h a e l Wade Lee ’04 of San A n t o n i o continues his inter-n a t i o n a l

operatic career singing in the United States, Poland and Ireland.

C h r i s -t o p h e r ’05 and J a m i e F u s s e l l B o u l d i n ’05 of Na-

cogdoches announce the Oct. 12 birth of William James.

Jeff ’05 and Esther Camp-bell ’07 of Nacogdoches announce the Nov. 1 birth of son Gage William.

R y a n e J a c k s o n ’07 of H o u s t o n is assistant d i r e c t o r of annual

giving at the University of St. Thomas.

R a c h e l Rull ’07 of Bay-town and Chris Ar-nold ’05 of Lean-

der were married Oct. 9.

Terell Garrett ’08 of Deer Park and Corey McCon-nell ’06 of Arlington were married Jan. 15 in Irving.

Melissa Windham ’09 of Waco works as an artist and is displaying her first solo show “Wallflowers” at area studios.

2010Charles Russell White ’10 of Grain Valley, Mo., is in the Army Reserves and will serve as a platoon leader in the 820th Tactical Installation and Network-ing Co. in Seagoville.

Samantha Mora ’08, left; Kayli Steger ’08, right; and Derek Head ’09, all of Nacogdoches, recently traveled to Australia to visit Zebine Bojler ’09 of Stockholm, Sweden. Bojler recently received her master’s degree in education from Macquarie Uni-versity in Sydney. The friends are shown at the famous Sydney Opera House.

O’NEAL

BRELAND

TIPP

BOULDIN

JACKSON

ARNOLD

LEE

Submit class notes and upload photos at www.sfaalumni.com.

43Spring 2011

In MemoriamCarl O. Amonett ’79 & ’82 of Academy, Oct. 16.Dr. Arthur W. Benoy of Nacogdoches, Jan. 14.Patricia C. Bowles of Longview, Jan. 20.Donald W. Burk ’53 of Nacogdoches, Nov 24.Dimples Burns ’54 of Kilgore, Dec. 26.Alexander Celinski Jr. ’73 of Houston, Oct. 19.Albert S. Collier ’47 of Longview, Jan. 17.Aline Watkins Crump ’35 of Houston, Jan 6. Lucille S. Daniel ’58 & ’67 of Gladewater, Dec. 14.Marjorie J. Dean ’77 of Nacogdoches, Dec. 21.Mary J. Deuth of Plainfield, Ind., Jan. 9.Charleen F. Dimmick ’70 of Cheshire, Conn., Oct. 18.Deanne Erdmann ’72 & ’73 of Denton, Jan. 25.Ethelind S. Gibson of Nacogdoches, Dec. 23.Mark S. Greer of Nacogdoches, Jan. 10.Dr. Herman Lenwood Hendrix ’57 of Lufkin, Jan. 15.Marilyn M. Hogue ’41 of Overton, Nov. 20.Beth A. Howell ’55 of Hermitage, Tenn., Jan 26.Bert Jones ’91 of Nacogdoches, Jan 10.Laurell L. King ’41 of Greenville, Jan. 2.Claude Dean Lane ’78 of Carlsbad, Calif., Nov. 5.Doris Ledbetter of Nacogdoches, Nov. 27.Mary E. Lee ’74 & ’77 of Lufkin, Dec. 29.Casey A. Light-Boyles ’92 of Mt. Enterprise, Jan. 15.Charles Lovelace ’77 of Kilgore, Nov. 6.Gilbert L. Martin ’58 of Mineola, Nov. 24.Margaret Maxwell of Houston, Jan. 22.Evelyn A. Moffitt ’70 of Tyler, Nov. 28.Esterlene B. Moore ’39 of Nacogdoches, Dec. 8.Martha L. Moore ’41 & ’75 of Lufkin, Jan. 4.Roy N. Moore ’40 of Houston, Jan. 24.Bob Oates ’78 of Waco, Oct. 26.A. C. Quarles ’54 of Palestine, Jan. 16.Royce E. Peacock ’50 of Troup, Jan 1. Clay D. Peterson ’10 of Lufkin, Dec. 21.William Ellis Powell ’60 of Alexandria, La., Nov. 10.Lucette A. Sharp ’41 of Nacogdoches, Nov. 13.Alene J. Shields ’87 of Newport, Ark., Oct. 8.Katie M. Smith ’56 of Fairdale, Nov. 2.Dr. Michelle S. Taylor ’84 of Ft. Collins, Colo., Nov. 7.Debra A. Technik ’77 of Houston, Dec. 2.W. D. Thames ’45 of Lufkin, Nov. 28.Loretta S. Sorrell Tinsley ’76 of Nacogdoches, Oct. 26.Frederick F. Tucker III ’55 of Nacogdoches, Dec. 13.James E. Whiteside Jr. ’71 of Timpson, Dec. 18.

Kyle Kermit Bates ’30 & ’42 passed away Feb. 9. Bates was born Nov. 11, 1909, in the Nat Community of Nacogdoches County. His parents, Da-vid Oscar Bates and Sudie Ann Eliza-beth Murphy Bates, were descendants of pioneer settlers of the Republic of Texas.

He started first grade in Cushing and graduated from SFA in 1930. Bates received his Master of Arts in 1942.

Bates pursued additional coursework at the University of Texas, the University of Texas Law School and the University of Colorado. The SFA Alumni Association honored Bates on his 100th birthday and recognized his family’s contributions to the school.

After teaching one year in the Barbers Hill Independent School District, Bates was named a teacher and principal of the Laird Hill School in fall 1931. Before his retirement in 1974, he served in nearly all the Kilgore schools, including Campus Ward, Eastview and Chandler.

Bates was a longtime member of the First Presbyterian Church in Kilgore. He served on the board of the Piney Woods Chapter of the Red Cross and was active in the Kilgore Lions Club. He was a docent at the East Texas Oil Museum.

The Bates Family Scholarship is endowed through the SFA Alumni Association.

Dr. Vinay B. Kothari, SFA professor emeritus, passed away Oct. 15.

Kothari was born in India. He came to the United States and earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Kansas, a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Missouri and a doc-torate in management from North Texas State University. He taught in Canada before joining SFA as an associate pro-fessor in 1973.

Kothari remained interested in in-ternational issues and, due to his efforts, the local Center for Inter-national Business Education and Research was formally recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce in 1984. In 1995, a major in international business was created at SFA, and, shortly thereafter, the department was renamed the Department of Management, Mar-keting and International Business.

Always concerned with academic excellence, Kothari founded his department’s three honor societies in management, marketing and international business. He served as faculty adviser for them during the last 20 years of his SFA service.

Kothari retired in May 2003 after 30 years of service to SFA and was later named professor emeritus. He maintained an office on campus and continued to be intellectually active. In August 2010, his book Executive Greed was published by Palgrave Macmillan.

Sawdust44

7618. Dorothy LeGail Patterson ’93 BAAS APAS, Nacogdoches7619. Chassity R. Durham-Sukiennik ’03 BSAG/’05 MS AGEN, Flint7620. James A. Raper ’84 BBA GBUS, Cedar Park7621. Jean M. Raper ’84 BA ENGL, Cedar Park7622. Brandon L. Fox ’05 BS KINE/’08 MED SCED, Nacogdoches7623. Christy L. Fox ’08 MED SCED, Nacogdoches7624. Matthew W. Toney, Former Student, Conway, Ark.7625. Cody W. Derouen ’09 BBA GBUS, Nacogdoches7626. Amy F. Minter ’09 BS KINE, Nacogdoches7627. Samantha L. Mora ’08 BS HADM, Nacogdoches7628. Chad E. Benoit ’01 BBA MKTG, Beaumont7629. Kelli C. Benoit ’00 BA SPCM, Beaumont7631. Dwayne J. Young ’08 BS EVSC, Frisco7632. Malerie J. Dlabaj-Young ’08 BSIS INST, Frisco7633. Megan L. Conner ’04 BSW SWRK, Houston7634. James O. Torrence ’03 BBA GBUS/’08 MPA PBAD/’10 MED SCED, Nacogdoches7635. Melissa A. Torrence ’07 BS BIO/’09 MED KINE, Nacogdoches7637. Dr. Mike E. Goddard ’94 BA JOURN, Prosper7638. Elsie W. Keeling ’76 MED ADM, Richmond7639. Larry W. Brooks ’01 BBA GBUS, Houston7640. Casey L. Eubanks ’10 BA HIST, Plano7641. Pamela B. Campbell ’09 BBA GBUS, Pflugerville7642. David O. Lilly ’77 BSED HPE, Humble7643. Yuliya Zorka Stroud ’09 MPAC ACCT, Irving7644. Andrew C. Boatman ’09 BSF FRSW, Nacogdoches7645. Jennifer T. Hampton ’08 BSN NURS, Nacogdoches7646. Latika D. Neal ’06 BA CJLA, Nacogdoches7647. RosyLin T. Johnson ’95 BBA ACCT/’98 MBA MGMT, Little Elm7648. Craig A. Turnage ’00 BA CJLE / ’05 MPA PBAD, Whitehouse7649. Tonya R. Turnage ’99 BSIS INST, Whitehouse7650. Angela L. Rushton ’10 BS EDU, Nacogdoches7651. Paul R. Brigner ’94 BBA CISY, Great Falls, Va.

LIFE MEMBERS The SFA Alumni Association would like to thankthe following alumni who recently became life members. We appreciate your support.

Phone: 936.468.3407 Toll Free: 800.765.1534 Fax: 936.468.1007 E-mail: alumni@sfasu.edu Website: www.sfaalumni.com

Change a life.Become a mentor.

Apply online atwww.sfaalumni.com

SFA alumni in all fields of study are needed as mentors for current SFA students. If you are interested in sharing your time and experience, please apply today at www.sfaalumni.com.

45Spring 2011

How to Starta Scholarship

More than $20 million has been contributed

to the SFA Scholarship Fund by thousands of

former students and friends to assist future

students in achieving their goal of a college

education.

The SFA Alumni Association awards scholar-

ships through the SFA Scholarship Fund admin-

istered by the SFA Alumni Foundation.

Alumni scholarships make it possible for

students to enjoy all college life has to offer by

helping relieve some financial burdens. The as-

sociation has awarded more than $1 million in

scholarships to students during recent years.

Scholarships are endowed by cash or gifts of

stocks, bonds, life insurance, memorial con-

tributions and wills, as well as and corporate

matching gifts.

A minimum of $20,000 is required to endow a

scholarship. This can be accomplished over a

10-year period.

1 Make the decision to help.Future SFA alumni need your financial assistance.

Plan your contribution today.

2 Name your scholarship.You may name your scholarship after yourself or in

memory or in honor of someone else.

3 Determine eligibility criteria.You may include college major or GPA or restrict the

scholarship to certain types of recipients.

4 Complete an endowment packet.You may download and submit documents online

at sfaalumni.com or request documents via U.S. mail.

5 Contact us.(936) 468-3407 or (800) 765-1534

crawfordkp@sfasu.edu

Stephen F. Austin State University Alumni Association | P.O. Box 6096-SFA Station | Nacogdoches, TX 75962-6096Local 936.468.3407 | Toll Free 800.765.1534 | Fax 936.468.1007 | alumni@sfasu.edu | www.sfaalumni.com

Sawdust46

47Spring 2011

See these SFA Exes for your banking needs

Nacogdoches • Garrison • Tyler • Marshall • LongviewADVERTISEIN SAWDUST

Place your business in front of thousands of SFA alumni.

Call to find out more about advertising opportunities in Sawdust magazine.

800.765.1534www.sfaalumni.com

SFA Walk of RecognitionWe invite you to participate in the project that will forever link the past to the future: the SFA Walk of Recognition. For $100, $250 or $500, you may permanently make your mark on an inscribed brick. The Walk of Recognition is located in the Sesquicentennial Plaza around the Stephen F. Austin fountain.

Your name carved in a brick will symbolize the spirit you felt when you were at SFA. The bricks are available in two sizes. They are hand-etched and laid geometrically in the plaza. Walk of Recognition bricks are ideal graduation and birthday gifts and provide a meaningful way to honor or memorialize a special Lumberjack. Printed certificates are sent upon request for such gifts.

Participating in the Walk of Recognition demonstrates your commitment to helping SFA students achieve their educational goals.

You may purchase bricks securely online or download an order form at www.sfaalumni.com. Contact the SFA Alumni Association at (800) 765-1534 for more information.

Find us on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/sfaalumni

Sawdust48

“The photo is from a production of Godspell. I think it was

summer of 1975. I recognize every face, but can only remember

Mark Elliot, far left, back row. Next to him is Lenny Blackwell

(I am 90-percent certain). Front row, far right, is possibly Mary

Alice Askins. If you have heard from others who can verify

these people, I would appreciate sending me the information

(now that you aroused my curiosity).” –Allen Morris ’75, vice

president of production and operations, Belay Media

Sawdust would like to know more about this SFA photo.If you can help, please contact:

alumni@sfasu.edu 800.765.1534

All Hail to SFA

49Spring 2011

caps | gifts | drinkware | tote bagsclothing | auto accessories | and more!

GET YOURSFA GEAR!

www.shopsfa.com

A portion of the proceeds from ShopSFA goes to support the SFA Alumni Association

Non-Profit Org.US Postage

PAIDStephen F. AustinState University

Stephen F. Austin State UniversityAlumni Association P.O. Box 6096, SFA StationNacogdoches, Texas 75962