NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University’s fashion merchandising and interior merchandising programs in the School of Human Sciences are merging to form a new merchandising program, effective fall 2017.

Leisha Bridwell, associate professor in SFA’s School of Human Sciences, who will oversee the new program, explained the need behind this inclusive program.

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 “Note By Note: The Making of Steinway L1037 ” at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4, in The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.

A feature-length independent documentary directed by Ben Niles, “Note By Note” follows the creation of a Steinway concert grand #L1037 – from forest floor to concert hall.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University’s online master’s degree program in early childhood education has been ranked among the top 10 best online programs in the nation for 2017-18 by Top Education Degrees, a website dedicated to helping students pursuing a degree in education.

The ranking is based on several factors, including tuition, curriculum relevancy and student-to-faculty ratio.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Several Stephen F. Austin State University students majoring in geology recently completed a six-week field course where they worked on mapping projects and visited the Grand Canyon.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Dr. John T. Moore, Stephen F. Austin State University professor emeritus of chemistry and biochemistry, will offer the commencement address during the university’s summer graduation ceremony Saturday, Aug. 12.

Moore served SFA for 46 years in various roles, including lab coordinator, assistant professor, associate professor, professor, and interim chair for both the chemistry and biology departments. During his tenure, he also helped establish the Teaching Excellence Center and served as its director for eight years.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10, in the Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, located at 2900 Raguet St. Dr. Jennifer Cruse-Sanders, director of the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, will present “The Greater Atlanta Pollinator Partnership: A Model of Urban Pollinator Conservation.”

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Heather Samuelson and Haley Jameson, co-coordinators of Stephen F. Austin State University’s dance program, presented research at the Twelfth International Conference on the Arts in Society in Paris, France.

Samuelson’s poster presentation, “Expression of the Forbidden: Creating dance that explores eating disorders and self-mutilation,” is based on a dance she choreographed titled “M.E.,” which depicts eating disorders and self-mutilation.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Music Preparatory Division of the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music will offer harp lessons for the upcoming fall semester.

Award-winning harpist Emily Mitchell, artist in residence in the SFA School of Music, will teach the lessons for ages 8 through adult.

“When I perform, audience members will often say to me afterwards, ‘Oh, I always wanted to learn to play the harp!’ Well, here's your chance,” Mitchell said. “It's going to be fun, low pressure, with lots of camaraderie.”

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — With iPads raised to the sky, dozens of Lil’ STEM Jacks and their family members map the constellations using the Skyview app as night falls over the Stephen F. Austin State University Observatory.

As lines connect stars into shapes, animals, gods and goddesses on the iPad, viewers have a clearer picture of constellations millions of miles away. Suddenly, what looks like a shooting star whizzes by, and the crowd buzzes with excitement.

“It’s the International Space Station,” many shout as they lift their iPads to the stars to confirm.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Fourteen students from the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art traveled to Italy earlier this summer to study European art first hand and further develop the School of Art’s ongoing exchange program with the art school in Florence, Libera Accademia di Belle Arti (LABA).