Dr. Carmen G. Montaña, assistant professor of biology, and Dr. Christopher Schalk, assistant professor of forest wildlife management, published an article in the journal Aquatic Ecology studying the ecological process structuring pond communities at fine spatial scales. In this study, the authors investigated how environmental, spatial and temporal variables influenced community organization of aquatic invertebrates and larval amphibians within pond microhabitats through extensive pond surveys conducted monthly across one year.

Ponds help promote local biodiversity as they are used by a diversity of organisms. Many ponds in East Texas are understudied yet facing significant threats from habitat loss and alteration as well as lack of legislative protection. This study provides insight as to how these ponds are utilized by species across fine spatial and temporal scales that can be used to inform monitoring and biological assessment programs.

The SFA History Club will sponsor a talk with Dr. Court Carney, professor of history, titled "Democracy in the Age of Disinformation: Fake News, Popular Culture, and American History" planned for 6 p.m. tomorrow in Dugas Liberal Arts North, Room 102.

The presentation also will be streamed on the Department of History's Instagram page, @HistoryAtSFA.

Carney will discuss the historical roots of disinformation, the rise of fake news and the impact these developments have had on American democracy.

For more information, email carneycp@sfasu.edu.

Steen Library’s second Reemergence Lecture Series session of the fall semester is planned from 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22, in the Wyatt Room, located on the first floor of Steen Library.

Dr. Jared Barnes, associate professor of agriculture, will present "Emergence: A Plant's Perspective."

Speakers lined up as future session leaders include Michara DeLaney-Fields, Joseph Stepniewski, Jim Ewing, Rajat Mishra, Devin Volding, John Stewart, Heather Olson Beal and CC Conn.

The SFA Faculty Senate will meet at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22, via Zoom to pursue agenda items not addressed during the previous meeting.

For more information, contact your senator or the Faculty Senate Chair, Brian Uriegas, at uriegasb@sfasu.edu.

Prospective students and their families now have three options for exploring the SFA campus with a new, revamped slate of Showcase SFA events.

In addition to the university’s long-standing Showcase Saturday, which invites future college students to experience a taste of campus life through an action-packed open house event, SFA also has added Showcase Preview and Virtual Showcase.

“Our university vision focuses on preparing students for bright futures through hands-on learning, and that needs to start before they even call our university home,” said SFA President Dr. Scott Gordon. “Showcase SFA invites them and their families to experience the campus in whichever format works best for their schedules and comfort levels.”

SFA’s Showcase Preview will take place from 9:30 a.m. to noon Oct. 11 on the SFA campus; Virtual Showcase will be 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 22; and Showcase Saturday will be 1 to 5 p.m. Nov. 13 on campus.

For more information or to register for Showcase SFA events, visit sfasu.edu/showcase.

SFA's Office of International Programs will present Global Gateway to Netherlands at 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, in the Ferguson Building, Room 375.

SFA international students will give an informative and entertaining presentation on their home country.

Attendees also may view the presentation via Zoom.

Meeting ID: 935 4349 2800 Passcode: 783087

The Early Childhood Laboratory is sponsoring the Be a Hero blood drive from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, at the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center's Donor Coach, which will be parked by the Janice A. Pattillo Early Childhood Research Center located at 2428 Raguet St.

To sign up to donate, click here, or visit the ECHL's new Facebook page.

Volleyball

SFA - 3 vs. Grambling State University - 0

SFA - 3 vs. Houston Baptist University - 0

SFA - 3 vs. University of Louisiana at Monroe - 0

Football

SFA - 58 vs. Mississippi Valley State University - 13

The SFA School of Theatre will present the student-directed full-length play “The Shadow Box” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, and at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, in Regents' Suite A in the Baker Pattillo Student Center.

Directed by Houston senior Johana Lenington, “The Shadow Box” is written by Michael Cristofer. Winner of the 1977 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play, “The Shadow Box” is about death and dying and explores the end-of-life experiences for three terminal cancer patients.

“The play follows the patients as they live out their last days with family and friends while they process the reality of their illnesses,” Lenington said.

Faculty production advisor for “The Shadow Box” is Rick Jones. The play is recommended for mature audiences.

Tickets are $6 for adults, senior citizens and youth, and $5 for students. To purchase tickets, visit the SFA Fine Arts Box Office online at boxoffice.sfasu.edu, or call (936) 468-6407. Box office and online sales end at 4 p.m. Sept. 24. Available tickets may be purchased at the door.

For more information about the play, call the School of Theatre at (936) 468-4003, or visit theatre.sfasu.edu.

“Spotlight on Women Composers” will showcase works written by living female composers in a recital at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 29 in Cole Concert Hall.

The recital features SFA School of Music faculty member Jacob Walburn, assistant professor of trumpet, in collaboration with Thomas Nixon, piano, performing works for trumpet written by contemporary female composers. In making program selections, Walburn said he realized his past recitals included very few compositions written by women.

“I wanted to be much more inclusive in my programming,” he said, “so I did some research and found several great pieces by female composers. With the exception of the very last piece on the program, every composition on the recital was written by a living female composer.”

Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for senior citizens, and $3 for students and youth. To purchase tickets, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407, or visit finearts.sfasu.edu. For additional information, contact the SFA School of Music at (936) 468-4602.

Winners of the sixth annual Bird Photographer of the Year contest were announced recently, and content ranges from quirky to bold to breathtaking.

Chosen out of 22,000 submissions, photographer Alejandro Prieto took Overall Winner with his piece “Blocked,” which features a roadrunner paused, staring at a barbed-wire portion of the border wall running along the U.S./Mexico border.

To view other winners and submissions, click here.