Dr. Amber Chelette, assistant professor; Dr. Robyn Whitehead, assistant professor and program coordinator; and Dr. Todd Whitehead, professor, received the Wolters Kluwer Innovation in Teaching Award from the American College of Sports Medicine and the Exercise Science Education Special Interest Group while attending the ACSM annual meeting in Boston in May. They also presented “Engaging kinesiology students in autonomous active learning through a course-embedded undergraduate research experience.”

The project was initially funded by a November 2022 SFA President’s Innovation Fund and first implemented in spring 2023.

Dr. Jannah Nerren, chair of the Department of Education Studies, and Dr. Amber Wagnon, associate professor of education studies, nominated Garrison Smith, Corrigan- Camden ISD middle school teacher, for the Texas Association of Teacher Educators Distinguished Clinician Award. He received the TxATE award June 11 for his mentorship of future teachers through the yearlong teaching residency partnership with SFA, and for his exemplary feedback on lesson planning, teaching and student assessment.

University Marketing Communications is always seeking to share exciting news of positive changes, announcements and accomplishments happening across campus. If you have departmental or institutional news you’d like to share, submit a request at sfasu.edu/umc-request or email umc@sfasu.edu. Your news article may be posted on SFA's homepage.

The university policy, 05-403 Expressive Activities, has been revised to be in compliance with Governor Executive Order GA-44. In accordance with 01-101 Handbook of Operating Procedures Administration, the university president has authority to approve/implement a provisional policy as necessary when federal or state laws, regulatory actions or compelling circumstances make expedited policy implementation prudent or necessary. This policy was approved by Dr. Neal Weaver, SFA president, effective June 12.

The policy can be found in the Handbook of Operating Procedures. For details regarding the revisions, email April Smith at alsmith@sfasu.edu.

SFA’s Stanley Center for Speech and Language Disorders is offering summer literacy and speech camps to children ages 4-11. Camps run from July 9 to Aug. 1 and range between $110 to $150.

For a full list of camp offerings, view the center's website. To reserve a spot in any of the camps, call (936) 468-7109.

The Office of Admissions is looking for faculty and staff volunteers for Showcase Saturday set for June 22.

Shifts are available from 9 a.m. to noon and noon to 3 p.m. Help welcome future Lumberjacks to campus and show them what makes SFA great!

If you are interested in participating, complete the volunteer registration form.

Parking permits for the 2024-25 academic year are now available.

To order a parking permit online, log in to mySFA and follow the step-by-step instructions listed below. To complete the application, you need your vehicle information such as license plate number and vehicle make, type and color. It is important to register all vehicles you may drive to campus. The permit fee will be deducted from your paycheck.

• Once logged in to mySFA, locate the “Employee” tab.

• Select “Parking Portal” under the “Parking” section.

• Under “Customer Authentication,” select the “CAS Affiliated Login” button.

• Enter all required information.

• Click the “Process Transaction” button twice or the permit will not be ordered.

Permits ordered before Aug. 1 will be mailed to the address indicated on the application. Permits ordered on or after Aug. 1 must be picked up in the Parking Services office on the first floor of the Wilson Parking Garage.

For more information, visit sfasu.edu/parking or call Parking Services at (936) 468-PARK or ext. 7275.

Employee Wellness is collaborating with Campus Recreation to offer Restorative Yoga to faculty and staff in Room MP1.

Employees who do not have a Campus Rec membership can attend the 5:15 to 6 p.m. yoga class on Mondays from July 1 through Aug. 5. Upon arriving, bring your employee ID to the Campus Rec welcome desk. You will be signed in as an Employee Wellness non-member.

New instructors in percussion and guitar have been added to the faculty of the Music Preparatory Division in SFA’s School of Music.

Dr. Carlos Benson is a percussion educator, artist and composer with an extensive and diverse background. He earned his bachelor’s degree in music composition at the Berklee College of Music and his master's and doctorate degrees at Liberty University. Benson also has studied in New York City with Tony Williams (Miles Davis’ drummer) and Jim Chapin.

Jim Edmonds is a multi-instrumentalist who specializes in guitar and viola performance. He started with the Suzuki strings program and continued his “classical” education as an all-state musician at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston. Edmonds then earned an undergraduate degree at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, and continued graduate studies at Texas Tech University in Lubbock.

Do you know someone with a knack for specific niches who also likes outdoor adventures? Take 'em on a hike for National Hike with a Geek Day. June 20 summons all geeks to push away the keyboard and strike out across the inviting landscapes of nature. Read more about the origins of this National Day Calendar holiday.