NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The two-night presentation of Moscow Ballet’s “Great Russian Nutcracker” at Stephen F. Austin State University is a complete sellout.

“We knew this event would be popular with East Texas audiences, so we are not surprised that both performances will have full houses, but we didn’t think they would be sold out a full week in advance,” said Scott Shattuck, associate dean of the College of Fine Arts and director of the University Series.

Academic opportunities at SFA continue to increase as a result of new face-to-face and online degree programs that have been developed in response to initiatives in the university’s strategic plan, “SFA Envisioned.” The plan includes directives for the university to be innovative in the ways in which it engages students in experiences that prepare them for the challenges of living in a global community.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Recent graduates from Stephen F. Austin State University’s DeWitt School of Nursing achieved a 96.58-percent first-time passing rate on the National Council Licensure Examination.

The NCLEX-RN is an exam nursing graduates nationwide and in Canada must take and pass in order to receive their nursing license. The NCLEX-RN is designed to test the knowledge, skills and abilities essential for the safe and effective practice of nursing at the entry level.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Dr. Clive Muir, associate professor in Stephen F. Austin State University’s Rusche College of Business, received the 2017 Pearson Award for Innovation in Teaching with Technology at the Association for Business Communication international meeting in Dublin, Ireland.

This award recognizes Muir for his use of technology in enhancing learning and engagement in business communication courses.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University students studying elementary education recently hosted a “We Need Diverse Books” event at the SFA Charter School to promote diversity in literature.

Through this event and class project, 36 SFA students in a course taught by Dr. Lauren Burrow, elementary education assistant professor, read diverse books to elementary students and participated in group activities related to the readings.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches will be open during a portion of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, gallery officials have announced.

Cole Art Center will be closed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 21 through 23. The gallery will be open during regular hours on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 24 and 25. The downtown gallery will continue its new Sunday afternoon schedule and will be open from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 26.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Wind Symphony and the Symphonic Band at Stephen F. Austin State University will present the program “Monuments” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus.

The SFA Symphonic Band, conducted by Dr. Tamey Anglley, assistant director of bands at SFA, will open the first half of the concert with Jack Stamp’s “Cenotaph,” which will be conducted by graduate student Brandon Beavers of Livingston.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Contemporary Ensemble at Stephen F. Austin State University will present a contemporary jazz/rock fusion concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 29, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

The program will feature the music of John Scofield and Pat Metheny, Plini, Suda, Tribal Tech and others, according to Andrew Sperandeo, adjunct faculty in Sound Recording Technology and guitar instructor in the School of Music. Sperandeo said he chose a program that would focus on “some challenging, higher-level music.”

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University’s Human Performance Lab in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Science is offering free health-related physical fitness testing to the university and Nacogdoches communities as a part of a service-learning project for kinesiology majors.

The fitness testing will take place between 7 and 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, in the Human Performance Lab, located in the Education Annex, Room 112, on campus.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University student Lana Welford recently won the Women’s Collegiate Work Climb title at the 2017 Tree-Care Industry Association Expo held in Columbus, Ohio.

Welford, a senior urban forestry major at SFA’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, said she entered the competition following encouragement from Dr. Hans Williams, dean of the college, as well as supervisors from her summer internship with SavATree, a professional tree and lawn-care company.