Jones is an associate professor of agriculture who joined SFA in 2016.

She teaches courses on horsemanship, animal breeding, equine production and management, animal behavior and welfare, and companion animals.

“I discovered my passion for teaching while holding study groups in my undergraduate studies, and I am honored to be able to utilize that passion to teach at SFA,” Jones said.

This is one in a series of 2023 Teaching Excellence Award features.

The PCOE recognized faculty for their work in the classroom as well as research and/or creative activities within their disciplines.

The departmental/unit Research and/or Creative Activities Excellence Award recipients were Drs. James Rowe, associate professor of kinesiology and health science; Tingting Xu, professor of education studies; and Gina Fe Causin, associate professor of human sciences.

The departmental/unit Teaching Excellence Award recipients were Drs. Sarah Straub, associate professor of education studies, and Victoria Wagner-Greene, associate professor of kinesiology and health science.

Also, Dr. Judy Abbott, dean of the college, recognized recipients of the PCOE Research Excellence Award, Causin, and PCOE Teaching Excellence Award, Straub.

Dies successfully defended his dissertation, “The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resilience Through the Eyes of Transition.” His research focused on the role that adverse childhood experiences play in the lives of today’s college students and how protective factors can be integrated and enhanced to increase a student’s level of resilience.

Dies will be hooded at Georgia Southern University May 10.

Kennedy was promoted to the new position of parking services lieutenant, a direct report to UPD Chief John Fields. Her duties will include supervising parking operations and assisting with daily parking administration and parking rules and regulations.

Kennedy will continue to serve as university clery coordinator and assist as part of UPD's public information staff, which conducts presentations for student and university partner events such as Orientation, Axe'cepted Students Day and the SFA 1101 course.

Scott was named UPD's employee of the quarter for his professionalism, positive attitude and commitment to excellence.

Assigned to the Patrol Division, Scott demonstrates proactive policing strategies to the community.

SFA’s Health and Wellness Hub is relocating to the third floor of the Rusk Building May 8-31 while HVAC repairs are made to its current location at the corner of East College and Raguet streets.

The Hub asks faculty and staff to let students know that all services except for the Family Crisis Center of East Texas and Lumberjack Food Pantry will be available in the following capacities during this time:

• Counseling Services will be limited to virtual sessions except for services needed by students in crisis. They are encouraged to visit the hub’s temporary location between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to meet with a counselor in person. Initial consultation walk-in times will be suspended until the start of the fall semester. Call (936) 468-2401 for more information.

• Student Wellness coaching will be limited to virtual sessions. Drop-in hours will be suspended until the start of the fall semester.

• Health Services will have only some services available. Call (936) 468-4008 for information and to schedule an appointment.

• Student Outreach and Support services will be by appointment only. Call (936) 468-4008.

• The Lumberjack Food Pantry will be closed May 8-31.

• Family Crisis Center services will resume in July.

For more information, visit The Hub's temporary relocation webpage.

The Veterans Resource Center will hold the first SFA Veterans Graduation Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. May 3 in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Twilight Ballroom.

The luncheon honors graduating veterans, active-duty service members, reservists, National Guard members and commissioning ROTC cadets. The candidates will be presented with their graduation regalia, which includes a stole, an honor cord and a VRC coin. Additionally, the candidates will be given a chance to honor a chosen mentor at the luncheon, which their families also will attend.

The four opportunities to volunteer include:

• setup from 8 to 10 a.m.

• sign-in assistance from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

• regalia presentation assistance from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

• and teardown from 2 to 4 p.m.

If you would like to volunteer, email vaservices@sfasu.edu by May 1.

SFA’s horticulture program will host their fifth annual Spring Plant Fair from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 20, at the SFA Plantery located at 1924 Wilson Drive.

Plants available for purchase include a variety of summer annuals like coleus, vinca, ornamental sweet potato, summer snapdragon, wishbone flower and more. All grow well in the East Texas area.

Remember to log your service hours for the "100,000 service hours for 100 years" centennial competition.

To mark SFA’s first 100 years, university students, faculty, staff and alumni are holding a friendly competition to see which group can complete the most service hours between now and SFA’s Founders Day, Sept. 18.

The goal is for all four groups to earn a total of 100,000 service hours by that date. If they don’t reach that goal, the competition will be extended to the end of the fall 2023 semester.

For more information, visit the centennial website.

SFA Gardens will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. May 11 in the Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center.

Heather Kirk-Ballard, an assistant professor and state extension specialist for consumer horticulture at the Louisiana State University AgCenter, will present “Tips and Tricks for Maximizing Sustainable Space in Your Garden.”

Kirk-Ballard is the host of Get It Growing, an extension program focusing on home gardening that is distributed to news stations and newspapers across Louisiana. Her research interests include sustainable landscaping, home gardening and medicinal plants.

Summer Lumberjack Education Assistance Program applications for eligible participants — SFA employees, their spouses and dependents — are now available in mySFA.

The application form can be found through mySFA in the Benefits section of the Employee tab. For more information, contact Student Business Services at sbs@sfasu.edu.

Help SFA share a glimpse into life as a Lumberjack by participating in the Division of University Marketing Communications’ social media series, #SFASelfieSaturday.

Each Saturday, a selfie-style photo submitted by a faculty or staff member will be featured on SFA’s flagship account to tell our audience about colleges, programs and organizations, and to highlight the university’s amazing community.

To be featured, submit a selfie-style photo of you with your students, along with your name, the name of the class or organization and information that can be incorporated into a post to socialumc@sfasu.edu.

Baseball

SFA - 6 vs. New Mexico State University - 16

SFA - 9 vs. New Mexico State University - 11

SFA - 6 vs. New Mexico State University - 12

Beach Volleyball

SFA - 4 vs. Southeastern Louisiana University - 1

SFA - 2 vs. University of New Orleans - 3

SFA - 1 vs. University of Louisiana Monroe - 4

SFA - 1 vs. University of New Orleans - 4

Softball

SFA - 3 vs. Sam Houston State University - 1

SFA - 0 vs. Sam Houston State University - 6

SFA - 5 vs. Sam Houston State University - 2

Tennis

SFA - 3 vs. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley - 4

SFA - 0 vs. The University of Texas at Arlington - 7

Dr. Pablo Moreno, adjunct faculty oboe instructor, will present the recital program “Rediscovered and Unearthed” at 6 p.m. today in Cole Concert Hall.

Joining Moreno on the concert are colleagues Dr. Jennifer Dalmas, violin; Melissa Nabb, viola; Özge Serçeler, cello; and Dr. Minhae Lee, harpsichord.

The program will feature works by Wolfgang Amadeaus Mozart, Johann Gottlieb Janitsch, Simón Díaz and Chaya Czernowin.

Music representing locations and composers from around the world will be performed by SFA's Symphonic Band and University Band at 7:30 p.m. today in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Grand Ballroom.

Titled “World Tour,” the concert features the University Band performing works referencing locations around the globe through titles and/or programmatic content, according to Dr. Chris Kaatz, assistant director of bands. The performance will feature Christina Colley, lead graduate conductor from Henderson, and Amanda Bruner, graduate conductor from Little Rock, Arkansas.

Student ensembles in the sound recording technology program at will perform at 8 p.m. tomorrow at Banita Creek Hall.

The Popular Music Ensemble will perform “Gravity” by John Mayer; “Rock and a Hard Place” by Bailey Zimmerman; and “Bodysnatchers” by Radiohead, among other works. The Commercial Music Ensemble will perform “Headstone” by Whiskey Myers; “Son of a Sinner” by Jelly Roll; and “Zombie” by Bad Wolves, along with other artists. Both groups are directed by James Taylor, SRT lecturer in the School of Music.

Pianist Ryan McGaughey will present “An Adventure Through Video Game Music” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 20, in the Music Recital Hall.

McGaughey, who teaches piano at Humboldt State University in Northern California, also performs and writes music for video games. Most of the music on the program is from relatively recent video games, all of them being released in the past six years.

The SFA jazz bands will perform original works by music faculty members, along with the music of Sammy Nestico, Duke Ellington and other jazz greats, in a concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 21, in Cole Concert Hall.

The Swingin’ Axes, directed by Dr. JD Salas, will perform “Ymir’s Bones” by Dr. Ben Morris, assistant professor of composition, from Morris’ debut album, "Pocket Guides," released in June 2022 on Origin/OA2 Records. They also will perform “Fuego Frio,” written by Richard Birk, adjunct professor of jazz scoring and arranging.

The Swingin’ Aces, directed by Dr. Jake Walburn, will perform “By My Side” by Sammy Nestico; “Caravan” by Duke Ellington and Juan Tizol; “Without a Song” arranged by Rick Stitzel; “Act Your Age” by Gordon Goodwin; “My Romance” by Richard Rogers and Lorenzo Hard; and “Freddie Freeloader” by Miles Davis.

The bands at SFA will present the annual Concert in the Park Sunday, April 23, in the wooded area along Vista Drive and in front of the Wright Music Building. The concert begins at 2 p.m. and is free to the public.

All four SFA concert bands will perform, including the Wind Ensemble, directed by Dr. Tamey Anglley, director of bands; the Wind Symphony, directed by Dr. Dan Haddad, associate director of bands; Symphonic Band, directed by Dr. Chris Kaatz, assistant director of bands; and University Band, directed by graduate student conductors Christina Colley of Henderson and Amanda Bruner of Little Rock, Arkansas.

Dr. Dan Haddad, associate director of bands, will conduct the SFA Wind Symphony in its presentation of “Dusk to Dawn” at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 24, in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Grand Ballroom.

Guest conductors joining Haddad will be Dr. Chris Kaatz, assistant director of bands; Jeff Bellgardt, graduate student and Mount Enterprise ISD director of bands; and Christina Colley, graduate conductor from Henderson.

Seats are still available for the April 26 performances of “Reading and Rhyming with Mother Goose,” a presentation of the Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts and its Children’s Performing Arts Series.

Targeting children in pre-kindergarten through second grade, “Reading and Rhyming with Mother Goose,” presented by MCP Shows, teaches children classic poems by acting out the stories within them using lively puppets and other props, according to Diane Peterson, Fine Arts Box Office manager and director of the children’s series.

Described as "a musical about two guys writing a musical about two guys writing a musical," the hilarious “[title of show]” opens Thursday, April 20, at SFA as the final 2022-23 Mainstage Series presentation of the School of Theatre and Dance.

With music and lyrics by Jeff Bowen and book by Hunter Bell, “[title of show]” is about Jeff and Hunter, two struggling writers, who hear about a new musical theatre festival. However, the deadline for submissions is a mere three weeks away. “[title of show]” follows their journey through the gauntlet of creative expression, and is, above all, a tribute to musical theatre and the joy of collaboration, according to Kristen Blossom, assistant professor of acting, voice and musical theatre and the musical's director.

When unexpected objects line up in a photo, one must share the image.

That is the rule of this Bored Panda compilation featuring 50 times people were so surprised at how perfectly things lined up they had to document it.