NACOGDOCHES, Texas — A thrum of light chatter and crinkling snack bags filled the Academic Assistance and Resource Center on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus as 45 incoming first-generation freshmen settled into their afternoon break.

Fresh out of a training module on Microsoft’s OneDrive file sharing application — preceded by an hourlong session on dealing with stress — students of the Generation Jacks Summer Leadership Academy continued to buzz with excitement.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Sally Ann Swearingen, associate professor in Stephen F. Austin State University’s School of Human Sciences, is serving as the Southwest regional chair for the Interior Design Educators Council, an organization that works to advance the education, scholarship and service of interior design.

“It has been a wonderful way to network and meet other educators in the field of interior design,” Swearingen said. “It has provided a way for faculty members to brainstorm and learn about common issues.”

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Hundreds of students in Stephen F. Austin State University’s Rusche College of Business are taking part in a unique program designed to help them sharpen their professional skills while competing for scholarships.

Since its launch in October 2015, the Student Success Passport Program has hosted events ranging from career fairs to etiquette workshops aimed at introducing students to varying aspects of the professional business world.

NACOGDOCHES – Dr. Jason Reese, an associate professor of marketing in the Stephen F. Austin State University Rusche College of Business, has been named the faculty athletic representative for the Intercollegiate Athletics Council, an internal advisory group that works with the president and the director of athletics to ensure the university’s compliance with the Southland Conference and the NCAA.

Reese was appointed to the position by Dr. Scott Gordon, university president.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Dr. Jennifer Newquist, assistant professor in Stephen F. Austin State University’s School of Human Sciences, has been elected to the Texas Council on Family Relations Board.

TxCFR promotes healthy families through a variety of resources and activities and is an affiliate of the National Council on Family Relations, which is a nonprofit multidisciplinary professional association focused on family research, practice and education, according to the council’s website.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art and the Friends of the Visual Arts will present a free, one-night screening of “Tracks” at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9, in The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Freedom Brass ensemble of the U.S. Air Force Band of the West will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9, in Cole Concert Hall on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus.

The concert is a presentation of the SFA College of Fine Arts and School of Music and is featured in this year’s Cole Performing Arts Series.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University’s Gwen and Ed Cole Audiology Lab recently received the 2016 Best of Nacogdoches Award by The Daily Sentinel, which annually honors the achievements and accomplishments of local service providers and businesses.

Award recipients are recognized for their positive impact in the community and quality service they provide to their clients. Awards are distributed based on service or business category. This is the second year that the Cole Audiology Lab has received the award in the audiologist category.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University’s Culinary Café will host a closing reception for artist and alumna Umeki Earl-Nelson from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1, in the Culinary Café, located in the Education Annex, Room 121, on SFA’s campus.

The SFA and Nacogdoches communities are invited to attend this free event. Light refreshments will be served, and the dress is casual.

The Culinary Café features artwork by various artists each semester, and Nelson’s collection has been on display since June.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University’s International Studies and Programs director Heather Catton has been awarded a grant through the U.S. Department of State’s Fulbright Scholar Program to support a two-week group seminar in Germany.

“I always thought of Fulbright scholars as those super-smart international students who were chosen to come to the U.S. to pursue their graduate degrees or conduct research projects,” Catton said. “I never realized that there were opportunities to get short-term Fulbright scholarships outside of academia.