James I. Perkins
College of Education,
Humanities & Social Sciences

Alumna works to broaden students' experiences while preserving their Yup'ik culture

In August 2020, Hermelinda "Hennii" Céspedes '17 & '21 and her two children, ages 7 and 2, boarded a flight to Anchorage, Alaska, from Houston for the teaching opportunity of a lifetime.

"I always felt a calling to Alaska," Céspedes said.

Read more: Fall 2021 Sawdust cover story

Dr. Straub Lands Parks and Wildlife Grant

Dr. Sarah Straub, associate professor of education studies, was awarded a $58,000 grant through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department that will fund a science academy for up to 100 girls in the Nacogdoches Independent School District. The grant is for the establishment of the East Texas Adventure Girls Environmental Science Academy. Meant for students at McMichael Middle School, the academy will feature two excursions in the fall and two in the spring. The academy concludes with the creation of a native plant garden in Nacogdoches.

Helping students learn and teach math

Dr. Mark Montgomery has combined versatile passions into a career filled with educational enthusiasm. His work to create a positive space for SFA students to learn both mathematics and effective ways to teach the subject to elementary and middle-level students earned him a 2019 Teaching Excellence Award.

Dr. Olson Beal Selected as Congressional Fellow

Dr. Heather Olson Beal, professor of education studies, was selected by the American Educational Research Association to serve as a congressional fellow. Olson Beal headed to Washington to work alongside staff for either a congressional office or committee, where she’ll serve as an expert in education. The yearlong appointment, buoyed by an $80,000 stipend, started Sept. 1. Olson Beal will teach her SFA courses remotely during her Washington tenure.
 

American Foundation for the Blind honors SFA’s Dr. Shannon Darst

A career’s worth of experience teaching the blind and visually impaired – and preparing other teachers to do the same – was recognized at a national level for Dr. Shannon Darst, assistant professor of education studies.

Darst, along with two cocreators, received the Corinne Kirchner Research Award from the American Foundation for the Blind for a learning tool called the Visual Impairment Scale of Service Intensity of Texas, or VISSIT, which identifies the level of instruction a blind student needs in order to succeed.