The Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to enhance the academic performance, retention and graduation rates of nursing students.

The Center for Applied Research and Rural Innovation will host the Fall Faculty Showcase to highlight faculty research projects funded by CARRI grants. The event will take place from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15, in the Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center.

Brent McLemore, former director of SFA's Center for Career and Professional Development, has been named director of the university’s new Center for Professional and Continuing Education, or PACE, which was created to leverage SFA’s knowledge resources to address the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis in Deep East Texas.

Looking for some great reads? Stop by and pick up a free book, courtesy of SFA Press, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10, at the University Marketing Communications office in Austin Building, Room 121.

Available titles include “A Winter Tale,” “I’m Samson,” “Nacogdoches: Now and Then,” “Well Done,” “A Day at SFA,” “East Texas Impressions” and “Chopper Blues.”

Quantities are limited, and books will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. SFA Press is unable to deliver books or send them through campus mail, so be sure to pick them up in person.

SFA Gardens will host its annual Fabulous Fall Festival Plant Sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center.

Sign up for the following Center for Teaching and Learning professional development workshops in myTraining.

Advanced Brightspace Grades, 1-2 p.m., Oct. 9 (in person) and Oct. 16 (livestream): Taught by Laura Osborne, faculty training and certification coordinator, this session will equip you with tools to improve your grading by streamlining workflow and enhancing your feedback for students.

Aligning Objectives and Assessments, Noon-1 p.m., Oct. 18 (livestream) and Oct. 25 (in person): Dr. Cynthia Kilpatrick, CTL director, and Dr. Christina Wilson, director of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, will discuss designing assessments that truly measure learning objectives.

The public is invited to celebrate 65 years of the Humane Society of Nacogdoches County at an exhibit hosted by the East Texas Research Center. The exhibit’s opening is scheduled from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11, on the second floor of the Steen Library.

Human Resources is offering two in-person hiring manager toolkit training sessions at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10, in the Baker Pattillo Student Center, Multimedia Room 2.106. These sessions are for any staff or faculty who either serve on a search committee or have hiring process responsibilities.

The hiring toolkit can be found on the HR website under the "Managers" section.

The Academic Assistance and Resource Center presented Rogers with the AARC Bravo Award for outstanding support of AARC tutoring programs. She assisted the AARC in developing tutoring specific to her courses to increase student participation. Rogers demonstrated dedication to the success of her students.

Burrow presented “Measuring Service-Learning Outcomes for Hospitality and Tourism Students in Collaboration with Project Raíces Grant Initiative” at the International Association for Research in Service-Learning and Community Engagement Conference on behalf of Dr. Gina Fe Causin, professor in the School of Human Sciences, and Carrie Wright-Davis, project director for Project Raíces.

The poster session shared first-year results from a planned long-term, interdisciplinary study which examined the academic and community benefits of a service-learning project completed in support of Project Raíces’ academias by students in Causin’s “Travel and Tourism” and “Hospitality Management” courses.

For more information on Project Raíces, visit its website.

SFA’s Student Engagement invites local alumni and Nacogdoches community members to assist in building the foundation of the annual SFA Homecoming bonfire from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 12, at the Intramural Fields.

Human Resources is highlighting three job postings this issue:

• Chair/Director – Computer Science

• Assistant Registrar – Graduation

• Counselor (Mental Health Professional)

To view more job openings, visit careers.sfasu.edu.

Scientists have developed a new fabric inspired by squid that can regulate temperature. The fabric is made of a polymer covered with copper islands. When stretched, the islands separate and change how the fabric transmits and reflects infrared light, allowing the wearer to control the temperature. The fabric is also breathable and washable, and it can be integrated into other fabrics, making it a versatile material for clothing applications.

To read more, visit Goodnewsnetwork.org.