NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Teaching professionals seeking to continue their education need look no further than Stephen F. Austin State University. In January 2019, SFA will offer a Master of Education in teaching and learning completely online to allow educators the opportunity to pursue a graduate degree without relocating.

This degree targets early childhood through 12th grade teachers who wish to develop their skills and knowledge in these three teaching specializations: online, English as a Second Language/bilingual, and gifted and talented.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Aug. 9 in the Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, located at 2900 Raguet St.

Dr. Jay Spiers, an associate professor of horticulture from Auburn University, will present, “Alternative Fruit Crops for a Changing Gulf South: What’s on the Horizon?”

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — The Music Preparatory Division of the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music is accepting scholarship applications for its fall classes.

The music program features the study of a variety of musical instruments and choral techniques. Upper-level musicians as well as SFA faculty and students teach private lessons and classes. Registration for fall programs also is underway.

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  “Beltracchi: The Art of Forgery” at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3, in The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.

The documentary is described at imdb.com as “a mesmerizing, thought-provoking yet surprisingly amusing documentary on the life and times of Wolfgang Beltracchi, who tricked the international art world for nearly 40 years by forging and selling paintings of early 20th-century masters.”

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University’s School of Social Work is one of five Texas entities receiving a $410,000 grant from the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health to support collaborative approaches to well-being in rural communities.

The grant funds an initiative focusing on identifying and improving the mental health conditions of Nacogdoches County. More than 60 rural counties from around Texas applied for the grant. Other counties receiving the grant are Bastrop, Brooks, Morris and Victoria.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Anthropology students at Stephen F. Austin State University had the opportunity to get an up-close and personal look at “Texas’ Oldest Town” as they spent this summer excavating one of Nacogdoches’ historic areas.

Students who participated in SFA's field school with Dr. Leslie Cecil, chair and professor of the Department of Anthropology, Geography and Sociology, spent five weeks excavating the historic Millard barn. This is the first time the farmstead was excavated.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University’s Board of Regents approved several leadership changes during its Tuesday meeting.

Dr. Marc Guidry was approved as associate provost for academic affairs. As a member of the SFA faculty since 1999, Guidry is familiar to many on campus. In addition to his teaching responsibilities in the Department of English and Creative Writing, Guidry has served as associate dean of the College of Liberal and Applied Arts since 2012.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University regents approved an initiative during its quarterly meeting Tuesday that will utilize alumni and industry professionals to assist in providing transformative experiences for students.

SFA recently became the second Texas institution to offer a specialized degree in banking, and now, students enrolled in the Chadwick family banking program at SFA will have the added bonus of an advisory council.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Dr. John Hendricks, chair and professor of the Stephen F. Austin State University Department of Mass Communication, recently attended and presented research to international media scholars in Europe at three conferences.

Hendricks attended the 16th annual International Conference on Communication and Mass Media held in Athens, Greece, where he presented “Social Media Strategies and Platforms in 2016: The Trump and Clinton Campaigns.” More than 80 scholars from 20 countries attended and presented 61 research papers.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — While many view summer break as a time to unwind and relax, others embrace it as an opportunity to immerse themselves in a new culture while working long hours to accomplish meaningful projects. This past June, Stephen F. Austin State University students from the academic disciplines of agriculture, early childhood education, environmental science, forestry, nursing and social work did just that — dedicating almost two weeks of their summer break to accomplish a variety of projects in rural Haiti.