Staff

Academic Affairs

 

Dr. Lorenzo M. Smith, provost and executive vice president of academic affairs at Stephen F. Austin State University, earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1991, a Master of Science in mechanical engineering from Wayne State University in 1993, and a doctorate in engineering mechanics from Michigan State University in 1999. Before his arrival to SFA in 2021 — in which he presides over six academic colleges and various offices, including the Office of Research and Graduate Studies — his career pathway crossed through Oakland University and California State University, Sacramento. He also has over 20 years of automotive industry experience, including stops at Ford Motor Company, General Motors and Chrysler.

In academia, Smith founded both the Chrysler Learning and Innovation Center and the Hornet Leadership Program. He has secured $5.6 million in gifts, and $9 million in overall external funding connected to grants and contracts to support his research and scholarly activity. Smith graduated seven Master of Science students, seven doctoral students, has authored 62 publications and successfully filed two U.S. patents. Smith co-founded the computer manufacturing company, Originatic, with his brother. The company is the maker of the Smartleaf computer. Although the company "crashed and burned spectacularly,” as Smith described it, he said he had the time of his life and has no regrets.

Smith serves on a number of boards, including as an advisor for the National Society of Black Engineers; member of the Concerned Black Men of Nacogdoches; president of the board of directors of Square Root Academy, a Sacramento-based nonprofit organization with a focus on advancing interest in science, technology, engineering and math careers among underrepresented student populations; president of the board of directors of the Sacramento Youth Symphony; and served on the board of directors of the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program, one of the nation's premier nonprofit organizations for promoting STEM careers for underrepresented pre-college students.

Marc Guidry

Dr. Marc Guidry was appointed Associate Provost of Academic Affairs on June 4, 2018, after serving as Associate Dean of the College of Liberal and Applied Arts since September, 2012. He joined SFA in 1999 as an assistant professor of English. He was promoted to full professor of English in 2013.

Dr. Guidry earned his B.A. with a major in English and a minor in philosophy in 1987 from Loyola University New Orleans, graduating summa cum laude. He earned his Ph.D. with a major in English and a minor in philosophy from Louisiana State University in 1997. He did his dissertation on Geoffrey Chaucer's magisterial medieval British masterwork, The Canterbury Tales. While at LSU, he won the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Committee "Keeping the Dream Alive" award and the Lewis P. Simpson Outstanding Dissertation Award.

Dr. Guidry has published an illustrated edition of Chaucer's Knight's Tale and an assortment of journal articles and chapters on Chaucer and other medieval British poets. He has presented on Chaucer at the International Medieval Congress at the University of Leeds in Great Britain, and has presented on both British and American authors at several conferences across the United States.

Dr. Guidry has taught dozens of different classes in British and world literature, linguistics, and freshman composition. He served as SFA's Faculty Senate chair in 2007-2008, and has served on scores of university, college, and department committees.

Dr. Guidry is married to Monique Saccente, a CPA employed with Compensation Strategies Group based out of Beaumont, Texas. Their daughter Gabrielle is a music education major at SFA who will be graduating in May 2019. She is a member of the Lumberjack Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, and the Pinewoods Symphony. Their son Joseph is entering his sophomore year at the University of Texas Austin, where he is a double physics-astronomy major. Joseph received a research fellowship at the end of his freshman year to study outbursts in white dwarf stars at the McDonald Observatory.

For more information, visit Dr. Guidry's profile page.

Sharon Brewer has served as assistant to the executive vice president and provost for academic affairs since January 2004. A native of Ipswich, England, Brewer also assumed the role of coordinator for international faculty members in 2023, collaborating closely with them to facilitate the process of securing permanent residency or green card status.

Brewer is a certified public manager and graduate of the 2008-09 Leadership Nacogdoches Program class. She also is a proud volunteer of Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA.

Brewer has two daughters, Emily and Georgia, both of which received their undergraduate and graduate degrees from SFA. Emily is the learning experience coordinator at SFA’s Center for Teaching and Learning, and Georgia teaches high school economics at Lufkin High School.

Brewer is proud “nana” to four grandchildren: Atticus, Archer, Olive and Lincoln. Most of her spare time is spent keeping them occupied.

Alisha is from Nacogdoches and is a SFA alum. She graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor in Business Administration and Master in Professional Accountancy. Alisha worked in Academic Affairs as a student assistant for 5 years during her time at SFA and was also a member of Beta Alpha Psi and Beta Gamma Sigma.

After graduation, Alisha married her husband, Colten, and moved to Houston. While in Houston, Alisha worked as an audit associate for BKD, a middle market public accounting firm. During this time, she primarily focused on Financial Services and Governmental/Not-for-profit audits, then ultimately specialized in Investment Fund audits. Alisha also obtained her Certified Public Accountant license during her time at BKD.

Alisha and her husband eventually chose to move back to Nacogdoches, where she has been the Budget Analyst for Academic Affairs since November 2018.

Dr. Judy A. Abbott was named interim provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs Jan. 1. She will serve in this position while a national search for a new provost is held. 

Abbott previously served as dean and professor of the James I. Perkins College of Education at Stephen F. Austin State University, joining the faculty Aug. 1, 2010.

Abbott earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Oklahoma and a doctoral degree from The University of Texas at Austin. She came to SFA following 15 years as a faculty member of literacy studies and as the assistant dean for teacher education at West Virginia University.

Abbott has not limited her work to leadership on the SFA campus. She served on the Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce board of directors and served as the chair of the chamber’s education committee for seven years. As chair, she coordinated the Leaders of Tomorrow initiative, a nine-month leadership program for eighth grade students selected from area middle schools, and the NOBLE Scholars, a recognition program for high-performing seniors from area high schools. 

In 2018, Abbott was honored as the Citizen of the Year by the Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce for her work across the community. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Friends of Historic Nacogdoches and is involved in promoting the City of Nacogdoches as an important Texas treasure.

Abbott has served as the president of both the Texas Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and the Teacher Education Council of State Colleges and Universities, which are the state and national council, respectively, for deans of education colleges, and the SFA University Women’s Club. Formerly, Abbott was a member of the Nacogdoches chapter of the American Association of University Women, Nacogdoches chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma and the Nacogdoches Rotary Club.