Bruck, who studies marine mammal behavior and conservation, was recently quoted in a Newsweek article about a mother and calf pair of porpoises traveling up a freshwater river, which is unusual and potentially dangerous.

The SFA board of regents concluded its quarterly meeting Monday during which it announced it will schedule a special meeting next month to make a decision on system affiliation, approved funds for renovation of the first floor of Steen Library to create the Lumberjack Learning Commons, and approved a new name for the Department of Geology.

On Sunday, regents heard reports from Madison Gartman, president of the Student Government Association; Alison Reed, chair of the Staff Council; Dr. Lorenzo Smith, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs; and Erika Tolar, president of the SFA Alumni Association board of directors. They discussed the strengths and weaknesses of responses from the four systems being considered for affiliation — Texas A&M University System, Texas State University System, Texas Tech University System and The University of Texas System. Questions from SFA student, staff, faculty and alumni groups were gathered and submitted to all systems Sept. 27.

During its quarterly meeting, the SFA board of regents recognized student, faculty and staff achievements, as well as approved faculty and staff appointments.

To view the full list of special recognitions and changes to faculty and staff, click Read More.

College-bound students and their families are invited to SFA’s in-person, on-campus Showcase Saturday event Nov. 12, which offers participants a unique opportunity to experience life as a Lumberjack.

“Showcase Saturday is more than a campus visit — it’s a chance to be immersed in the full Lumberjack experience,” said Dr. Steve Westbrook, SFA interim president. “I welcome prospective students and their families to our beautiful campus for the chance to learn about our academics, ask questions, and take their first steps toward making SFA their future home.”

Join us as we welcome prospective Lumberjacks and their guests during Showcase Saturday planned for Nov. 12. Shifts are available between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Opportunities include greeting guests, giving directions to session locations, setting up or tearing down session locations, and answering questions about our SFA and Nacogdoches communities.

Find more information and complete the sign up form today. Volunteer sign-ups will close at 5 p.m. Nov. 9. Email any questions to Emily Jefferson, director of undergraduate recruitment, at jeffersoeg@sfasu.edu.

SFA’s James I. Perkins College of Education was recently awarded a five-year $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to enhance bilingual and multilingual education for school districts in Nacogdoches and Angelina counties.

Set to be administered by the college’s Department of Education Studies, the grant will fund a series of professional development sessions to prepare as many as 332 educators to teach and support English language learners. Those educators include SFA faculty and education students, as well as East Texas pre-K through 12th grade teachers.

The grant, titled “Reaching All Communities to Establish Success in Language Learning,” is the third of its kind for the college, which was awarded $1.4 million in 2007 and $1.9 million in 2011.

On a busy construction site just east of Nacogdoches, SFA students are building four tiny homes at Village Nac, a faith-based community for residents with chronic mental health and homelessness issues.

Construction management students earn three hours of credit and hands-on experience through the fall-only “Building Construction Systems” course and its associated lab. During the next spring semester, interior design students will finish the homes with paint and furnishings.

The project, funded by a $115,000 grant from SFA’s Center for Applied Research and Rural Innovation, is the first of its kind in the education college. But it’s not expected to be the last.

Thanksgiving Homebound, the annual food drive spearheaded by SFA's Jacks Council on Family Relations, is ready for another season of giving.

Hoping to serve at least 100 regional families in need, the council is looking for individuals and organizations to “adopt” and donate to a family or families identified by the Solid Foundation, Greater East Texas Community Action Program’s Head Start and the Family Crisis Center of East Texas. These agencies then take the donations to their respective clients for disbursement.

While the donation drive is inspired by Thanksgiving, gifted items do not have to reflect typical Thanksgiving fare. Beans and rice, all manner of canned goods, pasta and spaghetti sauce, taco shells and noodles, for example, are acceptable.

SFA’s Jacks Council on Family Relations will take donations during normal business hours from Nov. 7-9 at the Education Annex, Room 121. For those interested in adopting a family and donating, email Dr. Jennifer Newquist, associate professor in SFA’s School of Human Sciences, at newquistjl@sfasu.edu.

Cooking Matters, a six-week community nutrition program hosted by SFA’s School of Human Sciences, recently wrapped up its seventh season.

Anywhere from 15 to 20 participants from Nacogdoches and surrounding communities attended each class. Primarily recruited from the Helping Other People Eat nonprofit food pantry in Nacogdoches, participants were introduced to basic nutrition education, cooked several nutritious recipes and toured the Walmart Neighborhood Market. The final class was followed by a potluck dinner and a ceremony for the program’s 19 graduates.

Interim President Dr. Steve Westbrook and wife, Dayna Westbrook, invite you and your family to the faculty and staff picnic from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, in the backyard of the Juanita Curry Boynton House, commonly referred to as the President’s House.

Food and family-friendly outdoor activities will be provided. To join, fill out the RSVP form by tomorrow.

The Office of International Programs continues to host a series of cultural presentations that span the globe. Each session is led by an international student talking about the culture and customs of where they are from.

Students, faculty and staff are invited to join the session about Finland planned for 3 p.m. tomorrow in the Ferguson Building, Room 479; and the session about Japan, planned for Tuesday, Nov. 8, in Ferguson, Room 377.

Dr. Brook Poston, associate professor in SFA’s Department of History, will host a presentation titled “George Washington and Julius Caesar: Parallel Lives” at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, in Dugas Liberal Arts North, Room 102.

The talk will explore a comparison of Julius Caesar, the famed military and political leader of ancient Rome, and George Washington, United States military officer and first U.S. president.

According to Poston, the parallels to be discussed between Caesar and Washington are as soldiers, politicians and kings — or more accurately their relationship with the idea of kingship and monarchy. He’ll discuss the fall of the Roman Republic, the rise of the American republic and why one failed while the other succeeded.

The Office of Research and Graduate Studies is holding an office hour from 9 to 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, via Zoom to assist faculty and staff with Cayuse, the portal to enter internal and external grants.

You also can obtain assistance outside office hours by calling (936) 468-6606, or by visiting ORGS in person on the fourth floor of Dugas Liberal Arts North.

ORGS is ready to help you get the funds you need. To access the below office hours, join the Zoom meeting.

NOTE: Due to maintenance, the Cayuse Sponsored Projects 4.0 application will be temporarily unavailable to all users from 8 to 10 p.m. Nov. 3.

Cross country

The men's team finished fifth with 193 points and the women finished seventh with 215 points at the WAC cross country meet.

Football

SFA - 44 vs. Utah Tech University - 47

Bowling

The team finished fourth at the Dezy Strong Classic.

Soccer

SFA - 1 vs. Tarleton State University - 4

SFA - 4 vs. Abilene Christian University - 1

Volleyball

SFA - 3 vs. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley - 1

SFA - 3 vs. New Mexico State University - 0

The Trombone Choir at SFA will present a mixture of choir, octet and quartet performances in a concert at 7:30 p.m. tonight in Cole Concert Hall.

Directed by Dr. Deb Scott, professor of trombone in the School of Music, and Luke Vacca, adjunct professor of low brass, the choir will perform “Tower Music” by Vaclav Nehlybel, and a trombone octet will perform “Icarus” by Uruguayan musician Ricardo Arbiza, among other works.

The Stone Fort Wind Quintet will present works by David Sartor, Daniel Dorff, Astor Piazzolla and other composers when the faculty ensemble performs at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8, in Cole Concert Hall.

“The Stone Fort Wind Quintet is pleased to introduce our new double reed faculty members: Dr. Pablo Moreno, oboe, and Dr. Cody Hunter, bassoon,” said Dr. Christina Guenther, professor flute at SFA and quintet member. Other members include Dr. Christopher Ayer, clarinet; and Dr. Andrea Denis, horn.

The story about a group of young boys, trapped on a deserted island, who discover the darkness of human nature will come to life on stage when SFA's School of Theatre and Dance presents “Lord of the Flies” Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 3 through Nov. 6, in Kennedy Auditorium.

The 1954 novel by Nobel Prize-winning British author William Golding, “Lord of the Flies” has been a staple on high school reading lists for decades. Even those who have not read the novel are well acquainted with its title and storyline, giving it what School of Theatre and Dance Director Cleo House Jr. describes as “iconic” status.

SFA’s Percussion Ensemble will perform works by Jennifer Higdon, Ivan Trevino and Andy Akiho among other percussion composers when the student ensemble presents its fall concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, in Cole Concert Hall.

Directed by Dr. Brad Meyer and Dr. Jamie Vilseck, the Percussion Ensemble will open the concert with Andrew Patzig’s “Mrityu” (or “Mrtyu”).

In Akiho’s Pillar II and III of his “Seven Pillars,” the composer states that the inspirations for the work “are deeply personal,” written more for performers than instruments.

Higdon describes her work “Splendid Wood” as “a joyous celebration of the sound of wood,” which is “the material that gives the marimba its unique sound.” Other works on the program include Trevino’s “Space Junk,” which he calls a children’s story set to music.

Secure the cows and Dodge Rams, a twister is on its way!

A sequel to the 1996 film “Twister” is in the works, according to a recent report from Deadline. It suggests that “Twisters” will follow the daughter of Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt's characters as she takes over the storm-chasing business. Although Paxton passed away in 2017, it’s likely but not verified that Hunt will sign on for the project — just last year, she revealed that she had also been pitching a “Twister” sequel with a new cast of diverse storm chasers.

Read more at simplemost.com.